Journey Of Heart
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Black is just starting off on his journey after waiting for a year from getting his first pokemon. During his journey, he encounters N, a mysterious young teen who takes a liking to him. Their repeated meetings end up blossoming into something more than friendship, but will Team Plasma take N's priority? N/Black, Yaoi, Lemon.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First Pokémon fic! A little different, with no White in it, which is fine by me. The N and Black pairing clearly doesn't get nearly enough love, so I'm gonna try to change that. Mainly Black's POV, with just a bit of N's here and there. Black and N are 14 starting this off, and this is basically without Black 2 or White 2 happening in the future. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the idea of N and Black pairing up.

Journey Of Heart

Chapter 1

X*X(Black's POV)X*X

"Black? Black, wake up!" my mom's voice called to me from downstairs. My first pokémon, Snivy, watched me with a curious expression as I sat up from bed and yawned before dressing and heading downstairs once Snivy was in my arms. I ruffled my brown locks as I yawned again.

"Good morning, Mom," I greeted, Snivy crawling onto my shoulder as I sat at the dining room table.

"Good morning, Black," she smiled. "Guess what came from Cheren and Bianca today?" I immediately perked up at the question.

"Please tell me they finally sent them!" I grinned. Smiling brightly, she handed me two pokémon eggs, one orange and brown, and the other light and dark blue and white. "Awesome!"

"Yep! They were just dropped off this morning," she told me.

"Are they finally back yet?" I questioned. Her smile faded, and she shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no. Bianca is still trying to figure out what she wants to do, and Cheren is still training hard before planning on going to the Pokémon League," she informed me. I sighed, and Snivy nuzzled my shoulder in reassurance. Stroking his head, I smiled slightly at him.

"Well, maybe we can head out today for our journey for ourselves, huh Snivy?" I suggested. My partner cried out happily before his stomach growled, as well as my own. Mom giggled before handing us each our breakfast. Poké food for Snivy, and bacon, eggs, and toast for me.

"I had a feeling you'd say that," she said. "That's why I talked to Professor Juniper this morning when the eggs were delivered, and packed your backpack for you, including some potions, pokéballs, poké food, and a map. You'll need to see her before you leave."

"Thanks, Mom," I smiled. She hugged me tightly, and I could sense her worry for me in the hug. "Mom, don't worry. Snivy and I will be fine."

"I know, but I can't help but worry," she mumbled into my hair. Soon after, she released me, and then turned to Snivy. "Take care of Black, okay?" He gave a determined shout in response. "All right, you two. Better head out once you finish, okay?"

"Sure thing," I nodded, scooping the strangely warm pokémon eggs into my backpack when I finished eating, and then I grabbed my hat and Snivy's pokéball before we ran outside. Several Pidove scattered when I opened the door, and I reveled in the feeling of the spring air. It had rained last night, which was nice, so the entire town smelled fresh like the rain. Snivy trilled excitedly, and I grinned at him. "You ready, pal?" The little grass snake pokémon happily jumped into my arms in response, making me chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes." I walked to the lab, and knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Black!" Professor Juniper's voice called. I opened the door, and saw the professor waiting patiently in front of her desk. "It's good to know you're starting your journey today!"

"Yeah, and I feel so much better than I did a year ago," I grinned. "Snivy and I have been ready for this for weeks now!"

"I'm glad you're fully recovered, Black," the professor smiled. "We were all worried about you when you first received Snivy because you were so sick. But that's water under the bridge now! Are you ready to get your Pokédex and start your journey?"

"We sure are, Professor!" I nodded enthusiastically as Snivy cried out happily. She handed me a Pokédex and a few heal balls, then ruffled my hair under my hat.

"Then go ahead and get out there, you two," she ordered. "You know how to catch a pokémon, right?"

"Yeah, Cheren told me you weaken it then throw a pokéball," I said. She nodded in confirmation, and then shooed us out the door.

"Then you'd better get going before it's nighttime!" she laughed. "Check in with your mother and me occasionally, okay?"

"You bet, Professor! Wish us luck!" I called, already running out the door with Snivy on my heels. We ran off to Route 1, where I grinned down at my partner. "Ready for the challenges ahead, Snivy?" The small grass-type trilled happily, and then we took off through the tall grass, soon encountering a Lillipup. Grinning, I looked at Snivy, who jumped into battle. "Use Leer!" Snivy leered at the Lillipup, who shuddered before lunging at Snivy with a tackle. "Tackle it back!" The tackle knocked Lillipup back, and it staggered before falling over. "Great job, Snivy! Now to catch it!" I threw a pokéball at it, and it hit Lillipup before catching it and wiggling three times. As soon as it clicked, I picked it up and yelled, "Yes! Snivy, we did it! We caught our first wild pokémon!" Snivy cheered with me, and I let out Lillipup, using a potion on it, and making him yip happily.

My team and I continued on, battling a bunch of Patrat here and there, and more Lillipup until Snivy learned Vine Whip and Lillipup learned Bite. Soon, we reached Accumula Town, where we went straight to the Pokémon Center. I went up to the counter, where the town's Nurse Joy smiled warmly at me.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center! Would you like me to heal your pokémon?" she asked kindly.

"Yes, please," I nodded.

"Perfect! I'll need them in their pokéballs for it, though," she said. I nodded, and had my two pokémon return to their pokéballs.

"Oh, and would it be okay if you could check the progress of my pokémon eggs?" I asked, and she smiled brightly.

"Of course!" she agreed. I pulled out the two eggs, and she put them on a machine, nodding after a few seconds. "It looks like they'll hatch any time soon!"

"Really? That was fast!" I blinked.

"Well, you can tell by how warm they are," she explained. "The warmer an egg becomes, the sooner it will hatch. Especially if a pokémon with the Flame Body ability is with it."

"Oh, okay," I nodded in understanding. She handed me back the eggs and my pokéballs, and I let Snivy back out. "Feel better, pal?" Snivy gave a pleased noise, and I smiled. "Thank you, Nurse Joy!"

"It's no trouble. Be careful out there!" she called to me as I left. I nodded, and we went back outside, where some people were gathered in front of an older man with green hair and one eye that was wearing some strange robes it looked like. Some people wearing strange uniforms stood in a line behind him, holding two flags with a group emblem on them. The man, who called himself Ghetsis, gained everyone's attention, and babbled some nonsense about how people should release their pokémon for the pokémon's happiness. I quirked a brow at this, but rolled my eyes. Snivy looked at me worriedly, but I petted his head in reassurance that I would never release him. After the man had finished speaking and he and his group had left, the crowd dispersed, except for a teen who looked about my age. He had storm grey eyes, light green hair tied back in a ponytail and a hat on, light grey jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, a white jacket over that, a wristband on his right wrist, bangles on his left wrist, and black shoes. He even wore a strange necklace that looked like a sphere with two rings on it that pointed different directions, and something that resembled a rubix cube hung from his belt. The guy came up to me, appearing curious and speculating about Snivy and me.

"Hello," he greeted. "My name is N. Your pokémon, he's happy, isn't he?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "Snivy and I have known each other for a year now, but I was really sick when I got him, so I had to recover and build my strength until I was better. We trained together, so I know Snivy and I are close."

"I'd like to battle you and see how close you two really are," he told me. Surprised, and eager to prove we are indeed just that close, I nodded.

"Sure," I agreed. "Ready, Snivy?" My partner nodded. "Okay, then let's battle!"

"Right," N said, and sent out a Purrloin. Snivy stepped forward, and I let N go first. He had Purrloin use Growl, and Snivy shook his head rapidly from the noise.

"Snivy, use Leer, then follow it with Vine Whip!" I yelled, and he struck Purrloin a few times with his vines.

"Scratch!" N shouted.

"Deflect with Vine Whip!" I ordered. Snivy did as told, and then struck Purrloin again. Purrloin fell over, beaten, and N had the little purple feline return to its pokéball.

"Well done. I'd like to raise pokémon as friends, not tools of war," N told me.

"That's a good idea. I want to be friends with all of my pokémon," I smiled. "By the way, my name's Black." I extended my hand out for him to shake, and he accepted it after a moment's hesitation. "It's nice to meet you, N. I hope we can be friends." His eyes widened, then he muttered something, but I didn't press. That's when he took out a small basket with a pokémon egg in it, and handed it to me.

"I think you'll become very good friends with this pokémon when it hatches, so take good care of it, okay?" he said. "I'd best leave. It was nice meeting you, too, Black," he smirked. "I look forward to seeing you again." He left before I could thank him, and I looked down at Snivy, who seemed puzzled by the black egg with the red at the top.

"You okay, Snivy?" I asked, and the little pokémon perked up before looking up at me with a smile. "Let's go on to Route 2, shall we?" We left town, continuing on to Route 2, when I got a call on my Xtransceiver. I answered it, and saw it was Cheren and Bianca. "Hey guys!"

"Hi Black!" Bianca chirped.

"Heya Black," Cheren greeted. "We heard from your mom that you got the eggs today, and you left on your journey."

"Yeah, Snivy and I already worked together and caught a Lillipup," I grinned.

"Good job! I caught a Lillipup on Route 1, too!" Bianca praised. "How's Snivy doing so far?"

"He's doing great! We already had our first trainer battle with a guy who gave me another egg," I told them excitedly, showing them the egg as Snivy climbed onto my shoulder to say hi. "And Snivy says hi!"

"Hello, Snivy," Cheren laughed lightly. "What kind of pokémon do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure. I guess we'll find out when it hatches, huh?" I chuckled.

"Speaking of hatching, did you like how we got the eggs to an almost hatching point?" Bianca asked.

"Definitely," I nodded. "This will help when I get to the first gym, right?"

"Yeah, but you'll need a water type to face the gym leader," Cheren warned.

"Why's that?" I questioned.

"Because you have Snivy. There are technically three gym leaders for the first badge, but only the one strong against your starter pokémon will battle you," the raven-haired teen explained. "And in your case, it'll be Chili. He's got a Pansear."

"Okay, perfect. Thanks, Cheren," I smiled. "Well, we don't want to burn daylight, so we'd better get to Striaton City. I'll call when we beat Chili!"

"Sounds good! Keep in touch, Black!" Bianca chimed, and then hung up.

"Good luck to you, Black. I can't wait to hear from you about your victory," Cheren told me, and then we ended the call. Snivy smiled at me, and we continued on, heading to Striaton City. We battled a few trainers along the way, and I even had Lillipup battle some wild Purrloin and Patrat. Deciding to catch a Purrloin like Cheren's, I had Lillipup sniff one out, and then battle it. I caught it with ease, and grinned.

"Awesome, now we have a Purrloin on the team!" I laughed. "Great job, Lillipup." I petted the small canine pokémon, making him yip cheerfully. I continued on to Striaton City, and made a beeline for the Pokémon Center to heal my team. I knew I could only have six pokémon on me at a time, which saddened me, but I knew it would be for the best if I put Purrloin into the PC so I could find a water-type pokémon. At least I caught a Purrloin in recognition of my friend. After talking to the people around town, I was recommended to go to the Dreamyard, where I could train before the gym. While there, I pulled out the two eggs Cheren and Bianca had given me, and was surprised to see them occasionally glowing. Carefully, I watched with Snivy and Lillipup as the frequency of the glowing steadily increased, and then they began to glow brightly, signaling that they were hatching. When the brightness died down, I blinked and looked to see a Tepig and an Oshawott curled up in place of the eggs. Tepig looked around with a quiet, timid oink before spotting me. He quickly snuggled into my lap, seeking comfort and warmth. Oshawott, however, gave a cheerful cry before hugging my arm.

"Hi, Oshawott," I smiled, petting its head. The little water-type snuggled closer, giving me a cheeky smile. "I'm glad you're both part of my team now. Both of you are going to be great." Tepig gave a pleased oink, and then the two young pokémons' stomachs growled. "Come on, I'll fix you some food." The pair perked up at that, and I laughed lightly. "Snivy? Lillipup? Are you hungry, too?" My other two pokémon nodded, and began to interact with Tepig and Oshawott while I poured some poké food into four bowls. Soon, I had the little group eating their lunch, and they ate happily together. I ate an apple from my backpack as I watched them, making sure they didn't fight over the food. When they were done, Tepig and Oshawott began to play, running around together. That is, until another trainer spotted them.

"A wild Tepig and Oshawott?! This is my lucky day!" the boy yelled, and whipped out a pokéball. "Go, Patrat! Use Tackle!" A Patrat popped out of the pokéball, about to tackle them, and I growled.

"Snivy, use Vine Whip!" I shouted, and my partner complied, striking the Patrat and knocking it away.

"Hey! What are you doing?! I'm trying to catch them!" the boy yelled.

"Not on my watch! You can't, anyway! I literally just hatched them not even an hour ago!" I spat. The kid glared at me when I said this.

"Then I'll win them from you!" he declared, pulling out another pokéball. "Go, Purrloin!"

"Then we'll have a double battle," I nodded, and Lillipup started to join the fight, but then Tepig stepped forward with Oshawott. "Really? You guys want to battle already?" Tepig nodded timidly, while Oshawott gave a battle cry. "All right," I nodded, and checked my Pokédex to see what moves they knew. Shockingly, Tepig knew Body Slam and Oshawott knew Ice Beam. "Sweet! Tepig, use Body Slam on Patrat, and Oshawott, use Ice Beam on Purrloin!" They did as told, Tepig slamming Patrat into a tree and Oshawott freezing Purrloin against a large rock.

"What?!" the kid yelped. "How do they know those moves already?!"

"Because my two friends gave me them as eggs," I explained coldly. The kid stiffened at that, and then gave me a sheepish look.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea," he muttered.

"That's because you jumped to conclusions. Trying to take someone's pokémon is wrong," I growled, picking up the young pokémon in my arms. Tepig snuggled closer while Oshawott cooed contentedly.

"You're right," the kid sighed. "I really am sorry, though."

"I accept your apology," I said. "Unfortunately, I have to go. I'm going to train these two so they'll be able to defend themselves even better." The boy nodded, and then I grabbed my things and left after returning Snivy and Lillipup to their pokéballs. As I left, I felt like I was being watched, but ignored the feeling in favor of going back to Route 2 and training Tepig and Oshawott. As we got to a clearing in Route 2, Tepig looked up at me with a concerned look and a soft oink. Oshawott gave me a matching expression, and I sighed. "Don't worry, you two. I won't let either of you be taken from me. In fact, I won't let any of my friends on my team be taken away." The pair smiled at that, and I set them down. "Now, let's get to training. You want to be stronger, right?" They gave eager cries, making me laugh softly. "Okay, then let's train with Snivy and Lillipup." I brought out the two aforementioned, and they helped to train Tepig and Oshawott until they each had learned more moves. By the time we were ready for the gym and done with training for it, Tepig had learned Ember and Defense curl in addition to his Tackle and Body Slam moves, and Oshawott had learned Water Gun and Water Sport in addition to his Tackle and Ice Beam moves. Even Snivy learned Wrap from the training. I noticed my pokémon were becoming very tired, so I gave a soft laugh before returning them all to their pokéballs and going back to Striaton City's Pokémon Center for some sleep. After all, it was late, and the sun had set a couple hours earlier. I was thankful that Cheren had told me about Pokémon Centers allowing people to stay there if they're on their own. As I entered, swallowing the last of a snack bar for my dinner, an Audino came up and greeted me cheerfully, a nurse's hat on her head.

"Hello!" the Nurse Joy from before greeted. "I take it you're sleeping here tonight, right?"

"Yes, if that's okay," I nodded. "If not, I'm sure my team won't mind sleeping outside…"

"Don't be silly," she giggled. "We've always got plenty of space. Follow me, and I'll take you to a room." I smiled at that, and she led me to a cozy room with a bed, bathroom, TV, and other pieces of furniture.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," I told her gratefully. "Now, since this obviously isn't a hotel, where should I go to get breakfast tomorrow morning?"

"You can actually go to the gym for that," she answered. "The gym leaders, Cilan, Chili, and Cress manage the gym as a café, too."

"Perfect," I smiled. "Thank you again, Nurse Joy. Goodnight." She smiled softly before closing the door, leaving me alone in the small room. Feeling a pang of loneliness, I decided to let my team sleep outside of their pokéballs tonight. Snivy smiled brightly at me when it came out, as did Tepig and Oshawott, but Lillipup was still tired from training, so I put it back in its ball. "You guys get to sleep with me tonight." The trio gave soft cries of joy at that. I gave them each a bowl of poké food, and then went to the bathroom to change into a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. When I emerged from the bathroom after brushing my teeth and hair, my pokémon were sitting on the bed, waiting for me. Chuckling, I placed my clothes in my backpack and grabbed the gifted pokémon egg before crawling into bed with them and turning out the light.

"Goodnight, guys," I whispered, and heard them all trill softly in reply before we went to sleep. Tomorrow, I will definitely win that gym battle and earn my first badge.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I woke up the next morning, it was to my Xtransceiver going off, alerting me of a call. Snivy opened his eyes before realizing what was going on, and quickly but gently woke Tepig and Oshawott so I could speak without rudely waking them. I answered the call to see it was my mom, and she smiled at me.

"Good morning, Black!" she greeted.

"Hey Mom, good morning," I yawned.

"Sorry, sweetie, did I wake you?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it's okay. I needed to wake up, anyway," I assured her. "I'm going to challenge the Striaton gym today!"

"Really? That's great, Black!" she smiled. Then she noticed the egg that I was holding. "Where did you get that egg from?"

"A trainer gave it to me yesterday after I beat him, saying I'll become great friends with the pokémon inside," I explained. "It probably won't hatch for a while since it's not even warm yet, but I'm excited to meet the new pokémon."

"Did the other two hatch?" she asked.

"Yeah, Tepig and Oshawott are playing with Snivy right now," I chuckled, looking over at the trio. "Hey, Tepig and Oshawott! Want to say hi to my mom? Snivy, come and say hi, too!" They all crowded around me and the Xtransceiver, and cried out happily.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Mom giggled. "Take good care of them, okay?"

"You know I will, Mom!" I laughed. "I'm gonna go, but I'll call you, Cheren, and Bianca when I win my badge!"

"Sounds good! I'll be waiting!" she said, and then the call ended. I sat up, making Oshawott fall off my head in the process, but caught him before he fell on top of Tepig.

"Ready for some breakfast before we go to the gym, guys?" I asked, and they cried eagerly in response. I fed them some poké food, and then went to the bathroom to relieve myself and get dressed. Once I put my hat on, I went back out to see Oshawott and Tepig staring at the egg as Snivy cradled it with his vines. "Thanks, Snivy. You're looking forward to more friends, huh?" Snivy merely nodded before handing me the egg and helping me to neaten up a bit. I carefully tucked the egg into my backpack, too. "All right, sorry, guys, back into your pokéballs." They nodded, and I returned them into their pokéballs before clipping them to my belt and leaving once I deposited Lillipup into the PC. I thanked Nurse Joy again on the way out, and she smiled in reply. When I got to the gym, I sat at one of the tables, and was soon helped by a waitress.

"Hello, my name is Hannah, and I'll be your waitress," she greeted. "You must be new here, since I haven't seen you before."

"Yeah, I'm planning on challenging the gym leader after I eat," I explained. She nodded in understanding.

"Then you're gonna need some energy! What would you like to drink and eat?" she asked with a grin.

"I'll try the house tea, and to eat, I'll have…blueberry pancakes," I told her, and she quickly jotted it down before speaking.

"Perfect, I'll have that out for you here in a bit," she said, and left. Once she was gone, I looked to watch some trainers battling a short distance away from the tables. Hannah brought my tea out, and I sipped at it as I continued to watch. A girl was using a Purrloin to battle a boy's Lillipup, and I smiled as the two pokémon battled. Not at the violence, of course, but at the idea of them becoming stronger. Soon after I got my tea, Hannah returned with my pancakes, and I thanked her before paying the bill, including a tip, so I could go battle when I finished. I ate quickly, and then hurriedly drank the rest of my tea. Once finished, I grabbed my bag and ran off further into the gym. I reached the end after battling some of the gym trainers with Tepig, and then saw the trio. They looked at me as I got closer.

"I'm here to challenge the Striaton gym," I announced.

"Good to hear!" the green-haired leader smiled. "I'm Cilan, and I take on those challengers that chose Oshawott as their starter with my grass-types."

"My name is Cress, and I battle those challengers that chose Tepig as their starter pokémon with water-types," the blunette added.

"And I'm Chili! I light things up with challengers that chose Snivy as their starter by using my fire-types!" the redhead grinned.

"My name's Black, and I chose Snivy," I told them.

"Then it's you and me, Black!" Chili declared, whipping out his first pokéball. "You ready?"

"Sure am," I nodded, pulling out Snivy's pokéball.

"I'll be referee," Cress said.

"Then let's do this! Go, Lillipup!" Chili called out, sending out his Lillipup. I blinked in surprise.

"I thought you were going to use a fire-type?" I frowned.

"Don't worry, I will if you can manage to beat my Lillipup here!" he assured me. I shrugged, and sent out Snivy.

"Challenger gets the first move," Cilan said.

"Snivy, let's do this!" I yelled. "Leer!" Snivy complied, lowering Lillipup's defense, but then Chili reacted.

"Work Up!" he shouted, and Lillipup yipped loudly after a moment. I frowned, not knowing what that move did, but then he explained. "Work Up raises the user's attack and special attack in one turn!"

"Crap," I growled. "Snivy, quick, use Vine Whip!" Snivy swiftly struck Lillipup repeatedly, only stopping when the small canine pokémon bit one of the vines.

"Bite!" Chili ordered. Lillipup lunged at Snivy, preparing to bite him, but Snivy was ready.

"Wrap!" Snivy coiled its vines around Lillipup, ensnaring it and squeezing it tight so it couldn't move. "Now, finish it! Tackle!" And with that, Snivy threw Lillipup into the ground and tackled it, making it faint.

"Lillipup is unable to battle! Snivy wins!" Cress announced.

"Great job, Snivy! We're halfway there!" I cheered, hugging my partner.

"Nice job, Black, but I'm not done yet!" Chili reminded me. "Now you'll see my fire-type! Go, Pansear!" He sent out the little fire monkey, and I nodded to myself.

"Right, now to end this," I murmured. "Go, Oshawott!" The otter pokémon cried out valiantly when sent out, and I laughed. "We're gonna win this, Oshawott!"

"I thought you chose Snivy?" Chili frowned.

"I did. But I got two eggs from my friends, and they hatched into Tepig and Oshawott," I explained, and he nodded.

"Well, it's still fair! Let's do this!" he grinned. "Pansear, Incinerate!" Pansear shot a flame at Oshawott, torching the Oran berry he had been holding, and I yelped. "Incinerate burns any berries that the target is holding!"

"Fine, then the least I can do is reduce the damage!" I yelled. "Oshawott, use Water Sport!" He nodded before soaking itself with water, which would lessen the damage from Pansear's Incinerate if it used it again. "Now, follow it up with Water Gun!" Oshawott nodded before spraying Pansear with the attack, making the fire monkey squeal.

"Fury Swipes!" Pansear used the attack on Oshawott, striking repeatedly, and Oshawott cried out in pain. When Pansear jumped away, though, I saw that it was trembling from the exertion.

"Finish it with one more Water Gun, Oshawott!" I shouted, and he quickly shot at Pansear, making it faint. "Awesome job, Oshawott!" I grinned, hugging the little blue pokémon close.

"Pansear is unable to battle! The victory goes to Black and Oshawott!" Cress declared.

"Aww, man!" Chili pouted, picking up Pansear. "That's a bummer. But hey, you won, fair and square." He came over to me, and gave me the badge, and I put it in my badge case. "That's the Trio Badge. Be proud that you earned that, but don't get too cocky. The other seven gym leaders are much stronger than us."

"Thank you, Chili. It was a fun battle, and I know Oshawott and Snivy enjoyed themselves, too," I smiled. "I'd better get these two to the Pokémon Center to get them healed, and then I'll go to Nacrene City."

"Good luck to you, then," Cilan said. "And keep on training!"

"You know it," I laughed as I returned Oshawott and Snivy to their pokéballs. Then I left, dropping by the Pokémon Center to heal my team, and then ran into a woman on the way out. "Oh, excuse me, please, sorry," I apologized.

"It's no trouble," she assured me. "Wait, what's your name?"

"It's Black, why do you ask?" I questioned.

"I've been looking for you! My name is Fennel, and Professor Juniper said you could help me," she said. "Here, come with me to my house. I'll explain more there." I nodded, curious as to what she needed, and followed her to her home, where she took me into a lab upstairs.

"So, what did Professor Juniper say I could help you with?" I asked.

"She said you could help me with finding some Dream Mist," she explained. "I'm not a trainer, so I can't even get into the Dreamyard without being attacked by wild pokémon. But anyway, I know the pokémon Munna and Musharna both emit it, so if you could possibly catch one and bring it here, that would be great!"

"Yeah, I can do that," I nodded. "Give me some time, and I'll swing by once I've caught one."

"I would suggest catching Munna," Fennel advised. "They're the pre-evolved form of Musharna, so they'll be easier to catch."

"Right. Thanks, Fennel," I smiled lightly. "I'll be back as soon as I can." I left to the Dreamyard, where the trainers had been before, but surprisingly, they weren't there now. Frowning, I headed towards the back, which had rubble and debris around the place, but as I got further in, I was surprised when a pink pokémon floated out of hiding, and I realized it was Munna. The Munna seemed timid, and I almost didn't want to catch her, but I needed to for Fennel. I took one step toward her, but then two of the grunts in those weird uniforms from Ghetsis's speech appeared and began to yell at the Munna, demanding for her to produce some Dream Mist. Suddenly, one of them kicked it, and I snapped.

"Hey! Knock it off!" I barked, and the pair glared at me.

"Butt out, would ya? Team Plasma can do what it wants, all in order to free the pokémon! Munna's Dream Mist will help us trick the people into releasing their pokémon!" one of the grunts snapped, kicking Munna again.

"If you won't leave Munna alone, then I'll make you!" I growled, and the first grunt stepped forward to challenge me. He sent out a Patrat, the pokémon chattering angrily. "Go, Snivy!" Snivy popped out, glaring at the Patrat. "Use Vine Whip!" My partner nodded, and struck Patrat a few times before using Tackle. Snivy sent the Patrat flying into its trainer, knocking him over.

"Gah! You won't get away with this!" the other grunt threatened. She sent out a Purrloin, which hissed at me, and I had Snivy return to his pokéball before sending out Tepig.

"Tepig, use Ember!" I yelled. Tepig gave a loud, determined oink before shooting the flames at Purrloin, making it squeal in pain.

"Scratch!" she shrieked at the feline pokémon. It scratched Tepig hard, leaving a few red lines on top of its snout, but Tepig suddenly cloaked himself in flames before tackling Purrloin hard, sending it flying into its trainer like Patrat had with the other grunt.

"Awesome, Tepig! You learned Flame Charge!" I praised. Tepig snorted a puff of smoke out of his nose threateningly at Purrloin, and it squeaked fearfully in response. The first grunt got back up and started to kick Munna again, but out of nowhere, that Ghetsis guy appeared on the left, appearing irritated. He snapped at the grunts, and then vanished, only to reappear on the right, yelling at them more. Suddenly, he disappeared and reappeared behind Munna, making the grunts shake in fear.

"This isn't Ghetsis when he's mad, or trying to trick people with speeches," the first grunt whimpered.

"This is Ghetsis when he's angry, and is about to deliver punishment!" the other grunt yelped.

"Let's go beg for his forgiveness!" the first one cried out, and then they fled. Shortly after, a Musharna emerged from the shadows, floating over to Munna. She trilled to Munna softly, as though checking on her. Munna gave a pleased cry, and looked at me before coming over. She looked at the empty pokéball in my hand, and I realized she wanted to join me.

"You want to come with me?" I asked to be sure. She nodded, and I smiled. "Thank you. You're going to be a good friend and helper for someone I know." Munna smiled, and then I gently tapped the pokéball on her forehead, catching her. Musharna nodded to me, and I gave the evolved pokémon a reassuring look. "She'll be safe." She dipped her head once before leaving, and then left back to Fennel's house after returning Snivy and Tepig to their pokéballs. When I got inside, I went upstairs to see her waiting for me. She looked up upon hearing my approach.

"Oh, hey! You're back!" she smiled. "Did you catch a Munna?"

"Yeah, but she may be hurt," I informed her. "Some Team Plasma goons were trying to beat the Dream Mist out of her."

"Oh no! Maybe we should take her to the Pokémon Center," Fennel suggested.

"I have a few potions still, maybe one of those will help," I said. She nodded, and I brought out Munna. Pulling a potion out of my bag, I coaxed her over. "Don't worry, Munna. This may sting a little, but it'll help you feel better." She gave a single nod, and let me spray the potion on her injuries, despite the occasional wince. After a few seconds, she gave a happy cheer, and floated around the room excitedly.

"Thank you for helping me and Munna, Black," Fennel told me gratefully. "I'll take good care of her, and we'll be good friends, right Munna?" Munna trilled joyfully, and let Fennel pet her.

"It's no problem," I assured her. "I'd best get going to Nacrene City before it's too late. It was nice meeting you, Fennel. Bye!" I waved to her, and she waved back as I left. Now to continue on my journey, and make sure I prove I can do this! I've got my pokémon, friends, and mom supporting me, and at this rate, I know I can make it to the Pokémon League!

A/N: Sheesh! 11 pages?! That's a first for a chapter in a multi-chapter fic! I finally got my shimejis working again! That was just a side note. Anyhoo, R&R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Awww, I have little Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem shimejis running around on my screen! Sorry, couldn't resist. I've been having trouble trying to get them to work, so I'm VERY happy that I finally figured it out! Also, I have some big news for everyone! Not that you all may care, but I passed my Veterinary Technician National Exam, or VTNE! Basically, that means that I can finally get my certification as a Certified Veterinary Technician, which is what I went to college for, and what I've wanted to do since I was a kid. Anyhoo, here's another Team Plasma encounter. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this version of N & Black pairing up.

Journey Of Heart

Chapter 2

I was on the next leg of my journey, Route 3, where I was searching for a wild Blitzle and a Pidove. I knew I would need a flying-type and electric-type for the future, and those two pokémon were perfect for it. Suddenly, a Pidove shot out from a tree using Quick Attack as I walked by, and I yelped as it streaked towards me. Ducking, I sent out Oshawott to battle it so I could try to catch it.

"Oshawott, use Tackle!" I yelled. Oshawott gave a determined shout before launching himself at the Pidove, hitting it and knocking it to the ground. Pidove struggled back to the air, but I needed to catch it too badly to let it fly away. "Water Gun!" Oshawott shot a stream of water at the bird pokémon, blowing it back into a tree, and it fell to the ground again, stunned. I quickly threw a pokéball, and it hit Pidove before clacking onto the ground and shaking three times then stopping with a click. Oshawott cheered as I picked up the pokéball with a grin.

"Great job, Oshawott," I praised, petting his head. He merely smiled at me, and I checked my Pokédex to see if I had a male or female Pidove. Cheren had once told me over Xtransceiver that Pidove's final evolved form, Unfezant, looked different between genders. The males were brightly colored, while the females are a little duller, but I didn't care. I have a Pidove now, that's what matters! Mine turned out to be a female, so that's nice! Out of nowhere, a whole flock of Pidove burst out of the trees from where my new Pidove had been, and Oshawott quickly hid behind my leg, gripping my pant leg fearfully.

"We must have caught the leader!" I yelped, ducking and scooping up Oshawott as I dodged a diving Pidove. I ran into the tall grass, continuously dodging the flock of angry Pidove as they dove at us, but then I couldn't go any further, blocked by a rock wall that eventually led off into a cave, but there was no way I would make it inside. I cringed, bracing myself for them to attack. That's when a Shock Wave attack suddenly blasted the Pidove flock, making them scatter. Once they were gone, I sighed in relief, searching for the source of the Shock Wave. A Blitzle emerged from the tall grass, giving us a concerned look. Oshawott ran over and greeted the Blitzle, appearing to thank him. Blitzle snuffled Oshawott's head to check him over, and then nickered happily when he was sure there was no harm done.

"Thanks, Blitzle," I smiled. "Those Pidove seemed really mad that I caught their leader." I pulled out an empty pokéball, and held it out to Blitzle, allowing him to sniff it first. "Would you like to join us, Blitzle? We could use your help in the future." After a moment, he nodded, trilling merrily before I pressed the pokéball to his forehead briefly, allowing him to be caught. Once the pokéball clicked, signaling that Blitzle was caught, I grinned at Oshawott, who gave me an ecstatic expression in return. "This is great! We've got ourselves a full team once the egg hatches, Oshawott!"

"Out of the way!" a gruff voice suddenly barked, and I quickly jumped out of the way into the tall grass as two of those Team Plasma grunts scurried past, off towards Wellspring Cave. I returned Oshawott back to his pokéball just as a little girl and Bianca, of all people, ran over to me. My friend looked really upset, and the little girl with her appeared on the verge of tears.

"Bianca?" I frowned, confused. "What's going on?"

"No time, Black! Where did those guys go?" she questioned urgently.

"Off towards Wellspring Cave, but what happened?" I asked.

"Those goons took this little girl's pokémon!" she exclaimed. My eyes widened at her outburst, but then narrowed dangerously.

"I'll take care of them," I growled. Then Cheren ran over from behind them, obviously having come from Striaton City. _'He must have flown there,'_ I reasoned.

"I'll help," he said. "Those guys are such a bother!"

"Just try not to take them down without my help," I warned, and he nodded. "We'll be back with her pokémon, Bianca. I promise." And with that, Cheren and I ran off to Wellspring Cave, where those two grunts were hiding out. "What do you think you're doing, stealing a little girl's pokémon?!" I demanded.

"That child cannot raise this pokémon to its full potential, so we plan to release it!" one of the grunts declared.

"Such bothers," Cheren sighed, and pulled out one of his pokéballs. "Ready, Black?"

"Ready when you are," I nodded, and whipped out Snivy's pokéball. "Go, Snivy!" Snivy gave an angered cry at the two grunts, and one stepped forward to take us on. Cheren sent out his Liepard, and the larger feline pokémon hissed at them. We went one on one against these guys, and Snivy seemed eager to get justice for the little girl. The grunt I was facing sent out a Patrat, which was going to be easy to take down. "Leaf Tornado!" Snivy swiftly spun the leaves around his tail, and then struck Patrat with the attack, making it squeal in pain.

"Bite!" the grunt snapped, and his Patrat bit Snivy hard. Snivy cried out, and I growled under my breath.

"Vine Whip! Finish it!" I shouted. My partner lashed out, striking the Patrat repeatedly until it fainted. "Great job, Snivy!"

"Now, give us the girl's pokémon so we can return it," Cheren ordered them as I returned Snivy to his pokéball.

"You don't have to return it!" a new pair of voices yelled, and two more grunts ran over, shoving the first two out of the way. "We'll deal with you now!" They sent out a pair of Patrat, and Cheren rolled his eyes.

"We'll see about that," I growled. "Go, Blitzle!" Blitzle gave a determined battle cry, and glared down his opponents. "Let's take them on together, Cheren!"

"Agreed," my friend nodded, and he had Liepard use Slash on the Patrat across from him.

"Blitzle, use Shock Wave!" I shouted, and he cried out again before releasing the electric attack on his opponent. The Patrat shrieked in pain, trying to shake off the residual static, so I decided to finish this. "Quick Attack!" Blitzle smacked into Patrat, knocking it back and then he quickly returned to my side. The grunt scowled at me as he returned his fainted Patrat into its pokéball, just as the other grunt called a retreat. He handed Cheren the little girl's pokéball, and then the group fled. Once they were gone, my friend turned to me after putting Liepard back in his pokéball.

"You did really well for just starting out," he smirked, and I huffed irritably.

"Of course we did! I have a good connection with pokémon, you know that," I reminded him. Stroking Blitzle's head, I added, "And I just caught Blitzle before this."

"Really? He must have taken a shine to you," Cheren remarked.

"Yeah, he saved Oshawott and me from an angry flock of Pidove," I smiled.

"So the eggs hatched, huh?" he guessed, and then shook his head. "We'll catch up more after we return this pokémon." I nodded in agreement once I'd returned Blitzle to his pokéball, and we left the cave to return to Bianca and the little girl. When we reached them, Cheren gave the little girl her pokémon, and she instantly cheered up.

"Thank you so much, misters!" she giggled. She then handed us each a few heal balls, and we thanked her. "I'm going to go home. Thank you again!"

"You're welcome, sweetie," Bianca told her, and then the little girl left. As soon as the child was out of sight, the blonde glomped me, squealing happily. "Black! I've missed you soooo much! It's been way too long!"

"She's right, it **has** been too long," Cheren nodded. "You never called us about your win at the Striaton gym, by the way."

"Sorry, I got distracted when I had to help Fennel, a friend of the Professor's," I explained. "I had to catch a Munna for her, and some of those Team Plasma goons were beating one, but I saved and caught her after I drove them off with Snivy's and Tepig's help."

"Oh, good! The eggs hatched!" Bianca cheered, getting off of me. "Can we see them?"

"Sure, I'll show you my team," I smiled. "Let's sit somewhere to catch up while the pokémon eat."

"Good idea," Cheren agreed. We sat down together in a small clearing, where I unclipped my pokéballs from my belt and let my pokémon out.

"Come on out, everyone! Time to say hi!" I called, and they all came out, crying out eagerly. "I caught Blitzle and Pidove today. They're going to be great team members for the future."

"Definitely," the raven-haired teen nodded. "After seeing Blitzle battle back there, I know he'll be perfect for later on."

"Of course! And my Pidove is a stubborn one, so she won't give up easily," I chuckled, stroking said pokémon's soft feathers on her head when she landed on my shoulder. "Why don't you guys bring out your pokémon?"

"Okay!" Bianca chirped, and pulled out her pokéballs at the same time as Cheren did. They let their pokémon out, all of them crying out happily. Cheren's team consisted of Emboar, Haxorus, Unfezant, Liepard, Gigalith, and Simisage while Bianca's consisted of Samurott, Musharna, Chandelure, Mienshao, Stoutland, and Simisear. Samurott and Emboar gave Snivy excited looks before Samurott crouched down to Snivy's level. The large water-type nuzzled my partner, making Snivy smile and hug Samurott's horn. Samurott lifted him up, still holding on, and Emboar gently patted Snivy on the head. I smiled a bit sadly, realizing how far behind my friends we were, and sighed.

"Just wait until he evolves," Cheren assured me, noticing my sigh. I looked at him, and he added, "You'll catch up to us in no time at all, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, Cheren," I murmured, and picked up Oshawott and Tepig, who were latched onto my legs. "These two have been great, by the way. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that Tepig knows Body Slam and Oshawott knows Ice Beam."

"We tried to make sure they knew those moves so they would be better equipped along the way!" Bianca told me excitedly. "Samurott knows Ice Beam, and Cheren's Emboar knows Body Slam!"

"Thanks, guys. Those moves helped out when some stupid kid tried to catch them right after they hatched," I informed them. "I told him off after they beat his pokémon with those moves."

"Good to know," Cheren smirked. "So, you're going to go for the next badge in Nacrene City, right?"

"Yeah, and hopefully while I'm getting ready, this new egg will hatch," I smiled, pulling it out of my bag to show them after I'd set down Tepig and Oshawott. I noticed it had become considerably warmer, which was good.

"Who was the guy who gave you this egg?" the raven-haired teen asked. "Did you get his name?"

"He told me his name is N, and he was strange but nice," I answered, and noticed Cheren stiffen at the name. "What's wrong?"

"That guy is a weirdo, Black. Try and stay away from him, and give him back the egg when you can," he warned me.

"Cheren, I refuse to abandon an egg that's been given to me!" I snapped, glaring at him furiously. "And you should know me; I'll always try to make friends with someone first unless I know for a fact that the person is in the wrong!"

"Black, I just know he's bad news. Just listen to me," Cheren insisted.

"No! I swore I would deem people right or wrong on my own!" I argued. "Damn it, Cheren, don't try to sway me on this!" I saw him open his mouth to protest, but I glared at him harshly. "I'm leaving. Don't try to change my mind." I returned my team to their pokéballs and stormed off, leaving Cheren and Bianca behind. When I got far enough away, almost to Nacrene City, I stopped, pausing to sit, take a breather, and try to calm down. Snivy popped out of his pokéball on his own, and gave me a concerned look. "Sorry, Snivy… I shouldn't have gotten so mad…" Snivy shook his head, disagreeing with me. "I feel bad for taking you from your friends, though…" He crawled into my lap where I was sitting, comforting me. "Thanks, pal. You're the best." My partner smiled up at me, happy to see my mood had improved. "You ready to go train?" He cried out excitedly at that, making me smile. "Okay, then let's go." I returned him to his pokéball, and then headed through the gate to Nacrene City.

Once through, I went to the Pokémon Center to heal my team, and talked to some people inside while I waited. They recommended that I go to the outside of Pinwheel Forest in order to train, so I thanked them and headed there when my team was healed and I had their pokéballs clipped to my belt again. I brought out Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, and we battled against the wild pokémon and trainers until they were tired. Even so, they pushed themselves to continue training. Suddenly, while in battle with a trio of strong Timburr, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott began to glow. Their forms changed, and then the glow vanished, revealing the three pokémon had evolved into Servine, Pignite, and Dewott. I grinned, and then they finished off the wild Timburr as a team before they ran over, giving joyous cries.

"Awesome job, guys! I can't believe you evolved, but that's amazing!" I laughed as I hugged them all. They were happy as well, which was what really mattered. Finally, after training Blitzle and Pidove so they could catch up to the other three, I went back to Nacrene City, seeing it was getting dark out. I stayed in the Pokémon Center again, and before I went to bed, I called Mom over the Xtransceiver.

"Hi Black!" she greeted happily. "Did you win your first badge?"

"Sure did," I smiled, showing her the Trio Badge in my badge case. "And I actually won it earlier today, but I got really excited to keep going, so I kinda forgot to call. And I'm going to challenge the Nacrene City gym tomorrow!"

"That's okay, sweetie, and I'm excited for you!" she grinned. "I understand how that feels. How's the egg coming along?"

"It's getting close to hatching," I told her, but then hesitated telling her about the argument with Cheren.

"Black? What's bothering you?" Mom frowned, concerned.

"I got into a fight with Cheren about the egg…" I grumbled. "He told me I should give it back to the trainer who gave it to me, and said the guy was a weirdo…"

"That's unlike him…" she murmured. "I wonder why he tried to make you return it."

"I don't understand it either, Mom," I sighed. "The trainer who gave it to me trusted me to take care of it, too, so I'm pretty mad with Cheren for saying that."

"Well, give it some time, and once the egg hatches, he'll see things your way," she advised. "I'll let you go now, sweetie, but we can talk some more tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll talk to you tomorrow," I told her, and then waved before hanging up. I gave a heavy sigh as I pulled the blanket over me, holding the egg close to my heart. Hopefully, this will help to make it hatch sooner…and then I'll prove to Cheren that N's a good guy, especially for the sake of the pokémon in the egg.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke the next morning to warm breath being exhaled on my face. Confused, I opened my eyes, and all I could see was black and red fur next to my face on the pillow. Slowly, I sat up, and looked down at the owner of the fur on my pillow, and saw it was a little black fox pokémon with red paws, eyebrows, and a bit of red on the top of his tuft. I realized the egg was gone, and the pokémon sleeping on the pillow was the one that had hatched from it. Carefully, I petted the little pokémon's head, stroking my hand along the tuft until he woke up. He opened his eyes to reveal sapphire blue orbs, and he yawned widely before smiling at me and giving a small yip.

"Hi little guy," I smiled, and pulled out my Pokédex to see what this pokémon was called. The Pokédex revealed that he was called Zorua, and he was a rare dark-type pokémon that couldn't normally be found in the wild. "Zorua, huh? You're pretty cute." Zorua yipped happily, wagging his fluffy tail, and I laughed lightly. "I bet you're hungry, huh?" I guessed, receiving a nod in return. "Then I'll fix you some food and you can eat with the others." He tilted his head curiously at that, and I petted his tuft again. "Don't worry; they'll be happy to have a new member in our family."

I pulled off my pokéballs from my belt that was hanging next to the bed and let my pokémon out. Servine, Pignite, Dewott, Blitzle, and Pidove all gave me curious, sleepy looks when they saw me, and then they noticed Zorua. "Guys, this is Zorua, and he hatched from his egg overnight. He's the newest member of the family, so be nice, okay?" Servine and Blitzle were the first to approach, and I grinned as Blitzle snuffled Zorua's tuft, drawing a startled squeak from the little fox pokémon. Zorua yipped at them, and they smiled back in acceptance. Pignite and Dewott came forward once Servine and Blitzle had stepped aside, and Pignite held out his hand to Zorua, and Dewott copied him with his paw. Zorua barked cheerfully, putting his paw on theirs, and the three pokémon gave a joyful cry. Finally, Pidove fluttered over, giving a kind coo in greeting that make Zorua seem to giggle. That's when I knew my team was official, and it would stay this way no matter what. I didn't know if Zorua evolved, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that I kept this team as my family, and they would stand by me through thick and thin.

"All right, time for breakfast, everyone," I announced, and poured some poké food into bowls for them all. Zorua seemed puzzled by the food, but when he saw everyone else eating theirs, he tried it. Then he gave a happy yip at the taste before quickly eating the rest of his share. This made the others laugh, but Zorua merely yipped at them when he was finished. I munched on a breakfast bar as I watched them, and then got dressed once I was done. As I got dressed in the bathroom, I thought about N. Hopefully I'll see him sometime soon so I can show him that Zorua hatched. That and there was something about him just seemed to draw me in. He was so mysterious, but that made him more…attractive. I can't believe I'm admitting that to myself, but he **is** attractive. Shaking my head to clear it of such thoughts, I put my hat on before going back out to my team and returning them to their pokéballs, except for Zorua.

"Zorua, are you ready to go into your pokéball?" I asked, but he shook his head. "All right, you can stay out for now." He yipped happily at that, and I chuckled before picking him up and slinging my bag onto my shoulder. I left the Pokémon Center, waving to Nurse Joy on the way out, and then headed for the gym. Right when I was about to walk inside, N came out of the building.

"Hello, Black," he greeted when he saw me. "I see you've already hatched the egg I gave you."

"Yeah, he's a real cute little guy, and he likes me," I smiled, petting Zorua's tuft again and making said pokémon trill contentedly in my arms.

"It would seem so," N nodded. "My friends and I would like to test you to see if you can see the future I predict."

"Wait, what?" I frowned, bewildered by his statement.

"I wish to see the ideals of pokémon inside pokéballs," he said. "Show me!" And without warning, he sent out a Pidove, so I had no choice but to battle.

"Go, Blitzle!" I yelled, and sent out the electric-type pokémon. Since Zorua was out, he watched as I battled with Blitzle. "Use Charge!" Blitzle cried out as he charged himself up with electricity, and that would power up his Shock Wave attack on the next turn.

"Use Leer, my friend!" N called. His Pidove complied, and Blitzle shivered at the fierceness behind the move. "Now, follow it with Quick Attack!" The Pidove swiftly dove down at Blitzle, but we were both ready and waiting to counter.

"Quick Attack and counter it back!" I shouted. Blitzle launched himself at Pidove, knocking it out of the air, and then he jumped back. "Finish it with Shock Wave!" He cried out, and then released the boosted attack at Pidove, electrocuting it and making it faint. N returned his Pidove to its pokéball, and then sent out a Tympole. I copied him, returning Blitzle to his pokéball after a short scratch behind his ears, and then sent out Servine. "Use Leaf Tornado!" Servine nodded and spun a flurry of leaves around his tail before hitting Tympole with the attack, making it faint with one hit.

"You've been training hard, I see," N commented, and I nodded.

"Yeah, we trained a lot yesterday in the outer part of Pinwheel Forest," I told him. I returned Servine to his pokéball, and then N sent out a Timburr. Nodding to myself, I sent out Pidove, and she spread her wings, taking flight.

"Timburr, use Bide!" N yelled. Timburr nodded and began to focus.

"Use Gust!" I shouted. Pidove cried out while blowing the attack at Timburr, and then I had her use Quick Attack. But before she could get away, Timburr unleashed its Bide attack. Pidove gave a pained cry, and then fell to the ground. She struggled to stand, and when she did manage to, N had his Timburr use Low Kick on her. "No!" I yelped. With a determined cry, though, she began to glow brightly, and her form changed until the glow vanished, and in her place stood Tranquil. My new Tranquil gave me a reassuring look, and I nodded. "Take it out, Tranquil! Use Air Cutter!" She quickly took to the air and flapped her wings, blowing the attack at Timburr, and with that, it fainted, and the battle was over. "Great job, Tranquil!" I praised, and she landed on my shoulder, nuzzling my cheek. Zorua yipped happily to her, and she nuzzled him, too.

N sighed, returning the Timburr to its pokéball, and looked at me. "Right now, my friends aren't strong enough to save all pokémon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So I need power… Power enough to make anyone agree with me," he murmured, and started to walk away as I frowned, concerned. "Now I know what power I need. Zekrom! The legendary pokémon that, along with the hero, created the Unova region. It's my turn to become that hero—and you and I will be friends!"

"N, wait," I said, but he left before I could continue. I sighed sadly, but Zorua nuzzled my chest, comforting me. "Thanks, Zorua." I returned Tranquil to her pokéball, and then headed into the gym, where I was approached by a scientist.

"Hello!" he greeted. "Welcome to the Nacrene City Museum. My name is Hawes. Let me take you on a tour of the building."

"Um, okay," I nodded, surprised by the suddenness. He led me around the museum, but when we stopped by a round white stone with strange indents in it, I felt almost drawn in by the sight of it. The man explained that it was just a stone that looked pretty they had found in the Desert Resort. He then finished his short tour, and led me up the stairs to another doorway.

"You're going to challenge the gym leader, right?" he guessed.

"Yeah, I feel pretty ready for the challenge," I chuckled.

"Well, good luck to you, then! Lenora, the gym leader, is my wife, and she's a tough cookie!" he grinned, and then left back down the stairs. Zorua and I stared blankly after him before I shrugged and headed into the gym. I put Zorua into each gym trainer battle briefly before switching out for one of my other pokémon so he could gain some experience. At that rate, Zorua quickly learned Pursuit and Fury Swipes. Finally, I gained access to Lenora, and I looked down at Zorua, who was curled up in my arms and looking down the steps nervously.

"Don't worry, we'll win, Zorua," I assured him, scratching behind his ears and calming him. I went down the steps, and soon reached the battle arena where Lenora waited. She looked up when she saw me, and walked over once I reached the challenger's side.

"So, you're the newest challenger, huh?" she grinned.

"Yup. I'm ready to earn my badge!" I nodded eagerly.

"That's the spirit, kid. What's your name?" she asked.

"Black. And this is the newest addition to my team, Zorua," I smiled, and he yipped in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Black and Zorua. Will you be battling with him?" she questioned, gesturing to the little pokémon in my arms.

"Not this time," I replied. "But he'll be watching."

"Sounds good. Ready?" she said, starting to head over to her side as a referee appeared from a room.

"You bet," I smirked, and she sent out her first pokémon, Herdier. The canine pokémon yapped at me, ready for battle. I unclipped the pokéball from my belt, and then called out, "All right, come on out, Dewott!" Dewott popped out, giving a determined cry and a thumbs up to Zorua.

"Begin!" the referee called.

"Dewott, use Razor Shell!" I yelled, and he ran at Herdier as he powered up his scalchops with the attack.

"Herdier, counter with Take Down!" Lenora ordered. Herdier barked, and then charged at Dewott.

As soon as Herdier leapt to dive down on Dewott for its attack, I shouted, "Dewott, duck and slide!" He did as told, and Herdier slammed into the ground, missing and allowing Dewott to hit it while it was dazed. He slashed his scalchops at it, striking it perfectly. Herdier howled in pain, but quickly recovered.

"Hit it with Bite!" Lenora yelled, and Herdier swiftly turned and bit Dewott's arm without warning.

"Water Gun! Blow it back!" I called. Dewott shot the powerful blast of water in Herdier's face, drawing a startled cry from the canine pokémon as it was sent flying back. "Now, finish it with Ice Beam!" He nodded and fired the attack at his soaking opponent, freezing him in place and effectively making him faint.

"Herdier is unable to battle! Dewott is the winner!" the referee announced.

"Nice job, Black, but we're not done yet!" Lenora laughed, returning Herdier to its pokéball. "Go, Watchog!" Her Watchog emerged from its pokéball, appearing to be a cool, calm, and collected pokémon.

"Dewott, you did great! Return!" I said, and once he was in his pokéball, I added, "Have a good rest." I unclipped the next pokéball from my belt, and sent it out. "You're up, Pignite!" He, too, gave a determined cry upon popping out, and I smiled. "Let's do this!"

"We'll do our best, too, so don't let your guard down, Black!" Lenora warned. "Watchog, Retaliate!" The normal type pokémon quickly ran at Pignite, attacking him swiftly, and doing a lot of damage in the process.

"What the—?" I started to say, but Lenora cut me off.

"Retaliate doubles in power when used right after a teammate has fainted," she explained with a grin. "Handy move, huh?"

"For you, yeah," I agreed. "But that's not going to stop us! Right, Pignite?" He gave an angry shout at Watchog, answering that question. "Awesome! Then use Arm Thrust!" Pignite ran at his opponent, and managed to strike Watchog a few times before it leaped away. "Follow it up with Flame Charge!" This time, Watchog didn't have the time to dodge. Pignite hit it full force, increasing his speed with the successful hit. He quickly backed off, and then it was Lenora's turn.

"Hypnosis!" she ordered, and I yelped, startling Zorua, who jumped slightly in my arms.

"Pignite, dodge!" I cried out, and he swiftly bounced away from the move. "Stop it with Body Slam!" Pignite nodded, and slammed into it.

"Use Crunch!" The command came from nowhere, but Watchog crunched down on Pignite's arm after being slammed, drawing a cry of pain from my pokémon. He began to glow with a red aura, and I realized this was Pignite's Blaze ability.

"Let's finish this, Pignite! Use Ember!" I yelled, and he gave a loud oink before shooting the flames at Watchog, making it faint.

"Watchog is unable to battle! Pignite is the winner, and that means the challenger, Black, is the victor!" the referee declared, and I grinned. I ran over to Pignite, hugging him, and even Dewott popped out of his pokéball to join in on the hug. Zorua, unfortunately, got squeezed in the process, but I quickly let go of them so the little fox pokémon could breathe.

"We did it! You guys are awesome!" I cheered. Lenora returned her Watchog to its pokéball before approaching me, a pleased look on her face.

"You did well, Black," she praised. "You've earned the Basic badge. Here." She handed me the badge, and I smiled as I placed it in my badge case.

"Thanks, Lenora. You certainly gave me a challenge," I said, straightening up and shaking her hand.

"Apparently not enough of one," she laughed. Out of nowhere, Hawes ran into the room in a panic.

"Dear! Some people in strange uniforms are trying to steal the Dragonite fossil!" he wailed, and Lenora perked up before glaring.

"Oh no they aren't!" she growled before running out of the room, her husband close behind her. Frowning, I returned Pignite and Dewott to their pokéballs before scooping up Zorua in my arms and following them. I arrived in the museum portion of the gym just in time, as Team Plasma was getting ready to steal the Dragonite fossil. They cried out their team name before throwing a smokescreen, and then they were gone, including the head to the Dragonite Fossil with them.

"Dammit," I hissed, unheard by the other two in front of me. Lenora ran outside after them, and I was quick to follow. When we got outside, a man with paint-spattered clothes approached Lenora with a greeting.

"Hello, Lenora! You've been busy, it seems," he smiled.

"Why, if it isn't Burgh, the Castelia City gym leader! I have been, but now's not the time, sorry," she apologized. "Those Team Plasma goons stole the Dragonite fossil's skull, and I need to get it back!" The man, Burgh, blinked in surprise before nodding.

"I'll help. Is the kid behind you a recent challenger?" he asked, looking at me.

"Yeah, my name's Black," I answered before she could. "I just won, and I can help, too."

"I like your determination, Black," Burgh smiled. "Okay, go heal up your team, and then we'll go to Pinwheel Forest together to hunt them down."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed, and then ran off to the Pokémon Center to restore my team's health. Once finished, I quickly ran off towards Pinwheel Forest. I noticed Cheren and Bianca standing outside the museum with Lenora as I passed, but I ignored them in favor of joining Burgh. I was still angry with Cheren for yesterday, so I wanted nothing to do with him right now. Upon arriving in Pinwheel Forest, I met up with Burgh, who grinned when he saw me.

"It seems they gone into the deeper parts of the forest. I'll block the exit up ahead just in case," he told me, and I nodded in agreement. I began to trek deeper into the forest, where I ended up confronting several of the Team Plasma grunts along the way. I had Zorua battle the agitated wild pokémon as we went, and he gained more experience as a result, soon learning Faint Attack in place of Scratch. Finally, I reached the grunt with the skull, and battled him with Servine and Blitzle. They took down his pokémon with ease, and I managed to get the Dragonite skull back. That's when a man dressed in brown robes almost like Ghetsis's joined the grunt I had just defeated, but right before he could challenge me, Burgh appeared.

"The bug pokémon were going crazy around here, and what do I spy with my little eye? Some important-looking guy!" he remarked as he joined my side with Lenora close behind. The man, who revealed himself as Gorm of the Seven Sages, gave the two gym leaders an ominous warning before retreating with the rest of Team Plasma. I growled under my breath at the fact that they escaped, but then sighed because there was nothing I could do.

"Thanks for your help in getting the Dragonite skull back, Black," Lenora thanked me. "I'll take the Dragonite skull back to the museum so you can continue on to Castelia City." She gave me a moon stone as thanks, and I left, carrying Zorua with me. Hopefully, I'll see N on the way, or even sometime soon. After all, I've thought this before, but he's really intriguing. There's just something mysterious about him… Zorua suddenly nuzzled my chest, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I looked down at him.

"Tired, huh?" I guessed, and the yawn I got in reply answered my question, making me chuckle. "All right, get some sleep, Zorua. We'll be in Castelia City soon." I got no response, but I smiled softly down at my furry friend regardless. Now to continue on my journey.

A/N: Jeez… TOO DAMN LONG OF A WAIT TO UPDATE THIS! That author's note at the top was from back in August, for crying out loud! But I'm getting back into this, so I'm gonna try and update this at a better rate. Not gonna be easy, but I'll try and work on my fics while I'm on break for my overnight shifts at work. That's the best time for me, but I'm also working on my books at the same time. Wish me luck, and R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Damn, I gotta work on my fics more… Btw, I realized I had a bit of an error with N's eye color and description. I've gone back and fixed it before this chapter, but fear not, good readers! I shall apply the changes to this chapter, too. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this version of N & Black pairing up.

Journey Of Heart

Chapter 3

It was getting dark again by the time I made it through the gate to Castelia City, which surprised me, but then again, I hadn't been able to tell the time while in Pinwheel Forest earlier due to the tree covering. As I walked, I began to get somewhat overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the large city. I looked down, noticing Zorua had woken up by this point, and he was eyeing the darkened alleyways nervously as we passed.

"Don't worry, pal. We won't go down those alleys yet," I assured him, stroking his head gently. He smiled up at me, appearing grateful for the assurance. We made our way to the Pokémon Center, where I got a room for the night. This one was fancier than the others had been, as it had nicer furniture, and even the bathroom looked fancy, too. I set Zorua down on the bed, smiling at him. "Let's get the gang out to eat, shall we?" The little black fox pokémon wagged his tail and yipped happily, eager to see the others again. I let my team out of their pokéballs, and they cried out happily at the sight of me. "All right, I'll fix you guys up some food, okay?" They nodded, and Servine followed me to my bag, where I pulled out the poké food I'd bought on the way in to the room. I pulled out some bowls from the cabinets that were provided to guests, and poured in some food to each one before handing Servine three, two of which he carried with his vines, and the third he held in his hands, as I carried the remaining three out to the others. The six pokémon ate their meals happily, and I watched them with a content expression as I ate my snack bar. Suddenly, Zorua looked out the window, excitement in his eyes, and his tail wagging joyfully.

"Hmm? What's up, Zorua?" I asked, looking out the window as well. My eyes widened when I saw N standing outside the glass, his stormy grey eyes watching us. Quickly, I went over to the window and opened it. "Come on, get inside before you get soaked," I told him, noticing the rain outside. After a moment of hesitation, the green-haired teen complied, climbing into the room. "What were you thinking, staying out in the rain like that? You'll get sick like that." I went to the bathroom and grabbed a large towel before returning to N and handing it to him. "Go ahead and dry off. Don't need anyone catching a cold, now do we?" I chuckled.

"…Sorry…" he apologized after a moment.

X*X(N's POV)X*X

' _Why is he being so nice to me? He just caught me watching him and his pokémon from the window, after all…_ ' I thought to myself as I wrapped the towel around me. Soon, I felt a sudden spike in the warmth, and I looked down to see Black's Pignite carefully warming the dampened towel with heat from his hands. "Thank you…" I smiled down at the fire-type pokémon. He merely gave a pleased oink in response, and I heard Black chuckle.

"Seems Pignite likes you," he commented. I didn't reply, but instead smiled warmly as his Zorua yipped happily, wagging his tail as he approached me.

' **It's good to see you again!** ' the little fox pokémon grinned.

"It's good to see you again, too, friend," I told him.

"So you really can understand them, huh?" Black asked.

"Yes, since I was young, I've been able to understand what pokémon say," I nodded.

"I gotta admit, I'm jealous," the brunette confessed. "I can kind of…sense how my pokémon feel, that's how close I am to them." My eyes widened slightly at this, and I drifted off into thought, feeling that maybe he could be the one they had told me about…

X*X(Black's POV)X*X

"N…?" I said after a few seconds when he didn't reply. He appeared to be deep in thought, and even though I didn't want to disrupt him, I had a feeling he needed to rest. "Hey," I murmured, stepping towards him. This seemed to snap him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at me in question. "Would you like to stay here tonight? Ya know, at least until the rain stops…" The older teen seemed somewhat unnerved by the idea. "Don't worry, I'll sleep on the couch if that helps."

"No, it's not that, I just don't know if I should…" he assured me, biting his lip nervously.

"Hey, it won't do you any good to go back out in that," I pointed out, gesturing to the downpour outside.

"…"

"Will it help if Zorua sleeps in the bed, too?" I asked, now feeling almost desperate to have him stay.

"…All right, I'll stay," he finally conceded, exhaling a little shakily. My pokémon cried out happily at his answer, making him smile.

"Thank you," he murmured, and I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's no problem. I just need to change, and then I'm gonna go to sleep. If you want, you can take a shower to warm up. I'm sure that'll help," I offered, and he nodded.

"I'll do that," he said, and I grinned before grabbing my bag and heading to the bathroom to change into my sleep clothes, which was just a pair of black shorts and a dark blue t-shirt. When I stepped back out to the main room, I was surprised to find N surrounded by my pokémon as they seemed to chatter to him while he sat on the bed. Servine and Zorua ran over when they heard me walk out, and smiled brightly up at me.

"Seems they all really like you, N," I chuckled, noticing how my pokémon seemed to be quite happy.

"I would certainly hope so," he replied, a faint smile curving his lips. That small smile warmed my heart, and I even thought he was cute when he smiled. Wait, what? How could I think a guy was cute? Well, I was never really attracted to girls, so I guess this means I'm gay…? I'll have to think more on this when he's not around…

"Better go hop in the shower so we can both get some sleep," I urged, and he nodded.

"Thank you again, Black," he told me gratefully, still giving that same, small smile.

"Of course," I said. "You're my friend, N. I always help my friends, especially if they're in need." This seemed to take him by surprise, but he was quick to recover and regain his composure.

"I'm surprised you consider me your friend, despite having only known me for such a short time," he admitted.

"Well, I think any trainer bonds with others through battles, but besides that, you just seem like a good person," I shrugged. N seemed to tense at the mention of battling, but didn't say anything, and then relaxed at the latter part of my statement.

"You're very trusting, aren't you?" he guessed, making me blush slightly out of embarrassment.

"Yeah…well…I tend to trust anyone unless they give me a good reason not to," I laughed lightly, ruffling the back of my hair a bit. "Sometimes it comes back to bite me in the ass, but usually it ends up being a good thing." Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning followed by a loud rack of thunder, and Zorua yelped as he dove into my arms and buried his face into my chest, seeking comfort. "Hey now, no need to be so scared. I'm right here," I murmured, stroking the dark-type pokémon's head soothingly.

"Will you all be okay while I clean up?" N asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, but you better hurry before the power goes out, just in case," I suggested, and the green-haired teen nodded in agreement as he turned and left to the bathroom, locking the door behind himself. Once I heard the click of the lock, I looked at the rest of my team, and they got close to me, huddling around my legs. "You guys had best sleep in your pokéballs tonight, okay? I'll feed you all in the morning, but for now, it's time to sleep." The five pokémon nodded, and I returned them to their pokéballs before clipping said objects to my belt and crawling under the warm comforter with Zorua settling himself in my arms. I listened to the shower as it ran, waiting for it to stop so I could turn on the lamp for N to see when he was done. As I lay there, watching the lightning flash outside, I couldn't help but wonder about my sexuality now. Was I really interested in N that way? If so, was I actually gay, or was I attracted to only him? It was so confusing, but as I pondered it more, thinking about why I was attracted to him, I realized it might just be only N. There was his stormy grey eyes, which drew me in when I looked at them, and his lean yet slightly muscular body beneath his clothes. I had noticed the slight muscle definition earlier when he was soaked, seeing his abs through his wet clothes. Thinking about him like that now, though… I blushed deeply, hoping to Arceus that I didn't become hard, lest Zorua and N see that. Arceus forbid if I had to try and somehow explain **that** to them…

Finally, the lock clicked again, and then N came out of the bathroom, wearing only his black boxers and a white t-shirt with black trim along the bottom hem, sleeve cuffs, and neckline of the shirt. I swallowed almost audibly at the sight of him wearing no pants, just his boxers, and I knew I'd fallen for him hard. When the hell did that happen?

"That's better," he murmured, tying his hair back once more as I clicked on the lamp. Looking at me, he said, "I hung my clothes over the shower rod to dry, if that's okay…"

"Yeah, it's…it's fine," I managed to get out, trying desperately to resist the temptation to lick my lips. What the fuck is wrong with me? I can barely keep my damned hormones in check right now! Carefully, so as not to wake Zorua, I rolled over, scooting along the bed a bit so N could have room to sleep. Now I was starting to reconsider sharing a bed with him, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I knew I'd have to man up and live with it.

"Are you all right?" the green-haired teen asked, frowning slightly in concern as he slid under the comforter, his back pressing lightly against mine once he was settled.

"Yeah, just tired…" I mumbled, silently praying that he would just accept my answer, clicking off the lamp as I did. Mercifully, he did, not saying anything more. He soon fell asleep, as I could feel and hear his deep, even breathing as he slept. Zorua, still in my arms, was also asleep, for which I was thankful. Closing my eyes, I decided to try and get some sleep, too. Hopefully this will make more sense to my sleep-muddled mind in the morning…

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a flock of Pidove cooing outside the open window…wait, why is it open? Frowning, I opened my eyes, but immediately regretted it, as the sun's morning light outside blinded me. Cursing softly, I made sure Zorua wasn't in my arms before getting up and closing the window and blinds. I was only when I turned back to the bed did I see why the window was open; N had left earlier this morning…

"Dammit," I mumbled, hoping I hadn't done something stupid to him in my sleep. The one word was enough to wake Zorua, who blinked his eyes open before yawning widely, and then smiling sleepily at the sight of me. "Good morning, Zorua," I greeted, and the little fox pokémon yipped in response. "Ready for another day?" He nodded eagerly, but then looked to where N had been sleeping in the bed with a saddened look. "I'm sure we'll see him again," I assured my friend. "After all, there's really no such thing as a true goodbye when you're friends with someone." This made Zorua smile again, and then he looked at my belt, where my pokéballs were clipped, causing me to chuckle. "Okay, let them out, and I'll get dressed before I get you all some breakfast." Zorua yipped again, and then began to tap the button on each pokéball with his paws until everyone was out. Meanwhile, I went to the bathroom to get dressed in my usual attire, and after slipping my hat on, I went back out to the little kitchenette to prepare my team's breakfast and then get my own. Once they had all eaten, I returned them to their respective pokéballs, clipped the pokéballs to my belt, and then packed up before grabbing Zorua and heading out to find a place to eat. I waved to Nurse Joy on the way out, and she waved politely in response.

Finally, I managed to find a small café in one of the alleys, where I was able to get some tea and a slice of coffee cake. After eating, I paid the tab and then left, carrying Zorua with me. I made my way to the Pokémon Gym, where I knew Burgh was waiting for me to challenge him. Right before I could open the door to the large building, however, Burgh suddenly ran out, very nearly bowling me over in the process, and I yelped in alarm at his sudden appearance as I staggered back so I didn't fall.

"Black?" he said, appearing confused.

"Yeah, that's me," I replied, quirking a brow at him. "I came by to challenge the gym.

"Sorry, Black, but it'll have to wait for now," he told me, an apologetic look on his face. "I just got word from a friend that Team Plasma has stolen someone's pokémon here in the city."

"Seriously?!" I gaped at him, and then I glared at the ground, angry with the foolish group for stealing someone's pokémon, **again**. "Let me come with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Things might get a bit hairy…"

"I helped out in Pinwheel Forest, didn't I?" I pointed out. "I can handle them pretty easily."

"Valid point," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "All right, then my friend and the victim are at the pier."

"Sounds good," I nodded, and I followed the artistic gym leader to the pier, where Bianca was standing with another girl, my friend having been reduced to tears. "Bianca?!"

"Black!" she cried, and latched onto me, hugging me tightly. Fortunately, Zorua was quick enough to jump onto my shoulder before he got crushed. "Team Plasma stole my Musharna!" Gritting my teeth together at her words, I bit back the urge to growl from my growing rage.

"How long ago was this, Bianca?" I asked, rubbing her back soothingly like a good friend would.

"Not even ten minutes ago," the other girl answered, approaching us. "So you know Bianca here?"

"Yeah, she's one of my best friends that I grew up with," I replied.

"Good to know there are some friendly faces somewhere around here, at least!" the girl smiled, and I chuckled. "What's your name, anyway?"

"I'm Black. What's yours?" I said.

"My name is Iris!" she grinned. Iris almost seemed like a bit of a wild child, as she had long, fluffy violet hair tied in a few places, golden brown eyes, tanned skin, and she wore light clothes meant for traveling quickly.

"Nice to meet you, Iris, but I wish it was under better circumstances," I sighed, glancing down at my sobbing friend. Looking at her, I said, "Bianca, we're all going to help you get your Musharna back, I promise."

"You mean it?" she sniffled, looking up at me.

"Of course! I wouldn't lie about something like that," I smirked. "Besides, I'd like to teach those idiots a lesson in pain." She giggled at that, and then let me go before noticing Zorua.

"Oh! The egg hatched!" the blonde squealed excitedly. "He's soooo cute!"

"Yeah, he's pretty strong now, but Zorua's still learning," I smiled.

"So he's a Zorua, huh? I've heard of them, but never seen one in person!" she told me excitedly.

"Well now you have," I laughed, taking the little dark-type back into my arms. "Look, we'd better get your Musharna back, and quick."

"Right," Burgh agreed, but that's when a Team Plasma grunt came casually walking back over, appearing completely cocky, but the look completely vanished as soon as she saw us with Bianca.

"Gah, this isn't good!" she yelped. "I thought I'd be able to steal another pokémon as easily as last time, but with the gym leader around, I don't think so!" And with that, she quickly fled, running off towards the gym.

"After her!" Iris yelled, and Burgh took off after the grunt, weaving through the city crowds with ease. "I'll protect Bianca, and you go after Burgh!" she ordered me.

"Right," I nodded, and quickly chased after the bug-type user. When I caught sight of him again, he was looking down the street that led to his gym before dashing down it, so I had to kick it up a notch to catch up. When I managed to, he was glaring at three Team Plasma grunts standing guard in front of the building across from the gym. I was quick to join Burgh's side, Zorua growling angrily in my arms.

"Crap, the gym leader has help," one of the grunts complained. "We'll take the gym leader, and you take the scrawny kid there!" he ordered one of the grunts as he and the third grunt moved to battle Burgh.

"Good thinking!" the second grunt grinned evilly before whipping out one of his pokéballs. He sent out a Sandile, and Zorua barked at it furiously, struggling in my grasp.

"All right, this one is all you, Zorua," I said, setting him on the ground. He growled again at our opponents, and the ferocity of it made the grunt flinch.

"Control that thing, would ya?!" he yelled at me.

"Only if you give up on trying to steal pokémon," I smirked.

"Never!"

"Then I guess Zorua's gonna enjoy this. Zorua, use Fury Swipes!" The small fox pokémon raced towards Sandile, striking it with several harsh scratches to the face and causing the ground-type to cry out in pain. The Sandile hardly had any time to counter, though, as I yelled, "Use Leer, and then follow it up with Scratch!" Zorua barked, acknowledging my command, but then he suddenly struck his opponent with a more powerful attack I recognized as Faint Attack. "Awesome job, Zorua! You learned Faint Attack!"

"So what? That runt's gonna go down!" the grunt spat. "Sandile, Sand-Attack!" His pokémon shot sand in Zorua's face, and my partner whined as he tried to get the sand out of his eyes.

"Faint Attack!" I yelled, and Zorua cried out before lashing out blindly, striking Sandile with perfect accuracy, making it faint. "Great job! Come on back, Zorua, and take a rest." He quickly retreated to my side, watching intently as the grunt returned his Sandile to its pokéball. He whipped out his second pokéball and sent out another Sandile. "Watch this," I whispered to Zorua once I scooped him back into my arms. "All right, go, Servine!" Servine cried out as he popped out of his pokéball, and then glared at Sandile.

"You're not getting in there!" the grunt growled determinedly.

"Your efforts are futile," I smirked. "Servine, use Leaf Tornado!" With a loud battle cry, my first partner whipped up leaves around his tail before striking Sandile, taking it out with one hit. The crocodile pokémon collapsed to the ground, down for the count, and the grunt returned it to its pokéball, beginning to panic. His fear increased when he saw that the other two grunts had been beaten by Burgh.

"This is bad for Team Plasma!" they wailed, and the trio fled into the building to warn the others inside. Suddenly, Iris and Bianca joined us, out of breath.

"Jeez, even with directions from the Xtransceiver, I still got lost!" Iris complained when she caught her breath.

"We found them, but they're inside there," I said, pointing into the building.

"Then let's go! This time, I'll join the fight!" the violet-haired girl declared, and she, Bianca, and Burgh ran inside, but as I made to follow, Zorua whimpered before using his Illusion ability to disguise himself as an Emolga.

"You okay?" I whispered to him, but he shook his head, wanting to remain in disguise for the time being. I nodded minutely, and my friend moved to perch on my shoulder when we entered. Burgh glared at Team Plasma as he confronted them, and then I heard Ghetsis's voice, making me have to bite back a growl again as I moved to the front. That damned weirdo spewed some fake shit about how stealing pokémon is for the good of the pokémon, and I quirked a brow at that, questioning his sanity. He also mentioned having the power of the legendary dragon pokémon of Unova, which concerned me. The entire time Ghetsis spoke, though, I could feel Zorua on my shoulder trembling ever-so-slightly, and I knew something was wrong. He had never even met Ghetsis before now, so how could he already be so scared of him? Finally, though, the twisted bastard had the grunt who had stolen Musharna give her back to Bianca, and she began to cry happily when the psychic-type rejoined her, hugging her partner tightly.

"Th-thank you!" Bianca stammer, but Iris was quick to criticize.

"Bianca, why are you thanking them? They steal people's precious pokémon!" she yelped.

"I…I'm sorry, but I'm just so happy to have my Musharna back…" she whimpered, and I placed a comforting hand on my friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," I told her. "Musharna's back with you. That's what matters."

"Right!" the blonde nodded, smiling at me with Musharna still in her arms.

"Touching," Ghetsis remarked with a sneer, and I glared at him, curling my lip slightly in disgust. "We shall leave today, but do not forget, Team Plasma is for the benefit of all pokémon." Then one of the grunts threw a smoke bomb, but once the haze cleared, they were all gone.

"Gah! They're gone!" Burgh growled. "What about the stolen pokémon?!"

"We'll get them back, somehow," Iris replied.

"I'm just so happy to have my Musharna back," Bianca said, returning the evolved pink pokémon to her pokéball.

"What are you going to do now, Bianca?" I asked as Zorua returned to his original form and settled himself in my arms.

"I'm thinking about looking around the city again, maybe figure out what I should do…" she answered, and Iris jumped to her side.

"Then I'll continue to be your bodyguard!" the wild girl declared, quickly dragging my childhood friend out of the building and into the city street.

"They'll be able to benefit each other, as Iris isn't quite at home in the city, whereas Bianca seems to need protection," Burgh chuckled before looking at me. "Are you ready to challenge my gym, Black, hmm?"

"You bet!" I grinned. "But first, I'll need to stop by the Pokémon Center to heal Zorua and Servine so they'll be ready to battle."

"Sounds good," he nodded. "I'll heal my team at the gym, but I'll see you once you get through!" And with that, we left, the bug-type gym leader returning to his gym while I trekked to the Pokémon Center. When I got there, Nurse Joy gladly healed my pokémon with some assistance from her Audino. I had to return Zorua to his pokéball for it, but he knew it had to happen eventually.

"Thank you for waiting," she smiled brightly as she handed me back my team's pokéballs. "Please come again when your pokémon aren't feeling in tip top shape!"

"You bet! Thanks, Nurse Joy!" I told her gratefully as I ran out. When I entered the gym, I looked around in awe at the large space, but when I saw the solid-looking walls of what appeared to be honey, I quirked a brow. "How the hell am I supposed to get to Burgh?" I frowned. That's when a harlequin spotted me and approached.

"Seems you're here to challenge Burgh, eh?" he guessed. "Then to get through, you need to step on switches to get through the blocked honey walls, but beware the trick switches and my fellow harlequins!" The harlequin then laughed as he sent out a Sewaddle. "Let's see if you have what it takes!"

"Fine, then let's battle!" I yelled, sending out Pignite. He gave a determined oink, exhaling a puff of smoke from his nostrils. "All right, Pignite, use Ember!" The fire-type shot the small flames at Sewaddle, knocking it out in one hit.

"Ah! No!" the harlequin wailed, dropping to his Sewaddle's side. "Are you okay?" His Sewaddle smiled up at him, and he sighed in relief. "Thank goodness." Getting up and turning to me, he grinned and said, "You shouldn't have any problems facing Burgh, so keep on moving!"

"Thanks," I nodded, and returned Pignite to his pokéball before heading further into the gym. I pushed my way through honey walls that surprisingly weren't sticky, battled the harlequins I encountered, and unlocked all of the gates blocking my way until the final gate was revealed. Once through there, I climbed up the stairs, where Burgh was waiting at the top, standing on one end of an arena.

"Welcome to my gym, Black!" he greeted. "How did you like my layout? Did you have fun?"

"Sure did! And I'm ready to challenge you and earn my badge, Burgh!" I grinned.

"Excellent! Then prepare yourself, because I certainly won't go easy on you!" he laughed, and then sent out his first pokémon, a Dwebble. It cried out happily, and I smirked, knowing who to send out first.

"I wouldn't have expected any less from a gym leader!" I called to him, and sent out Dewott.

"Ah, good choice, but let's see how it fairs against my Dwebble," he said ominously.

"Challenger makes the first move!" the referee announced.

"All right, Dewott, we can do this! Use Razor Shell!" I ordered. The water type ran at Dwebble, the water power already charged along his scalchops. When he got close, he slashed at Dwebble with both of them, making an X shape with the slashes. The rock and bug type squealed in pain, skidding back several yards before digging its pincers into the ground and stopping itself.

"Dwebble, use Sand-Attack!" Burgh shouted, and Dwebble shot a harsh spray of sand into Dewott's face. As the otter pokémon rubbed at his eyes to try and rid them of the blinding sand, Burgh had Dwebble attack. "Struggle Bug!"

"No!" I yelped, as Dewott had no chance or time to move out of the way. Dwebble's attack struck my pokémon, and he cried out as he was sent flying back. He slammed into the wall, and slid down to the ground, weakened. "You okay?" I called to him. He nodded once, getting up determinedly, and I smiled. "All right, then let's finish it off! Use Water Pulse!" He cried out, and threw the bright water sphere at Dwebble with perfect aim, striking it before the little rock and bug type could move. Dwebble flew into the air, landing with a crash several feet away, and when the dust cleared, we all saw that it had fainted.

"Dwebble is unable to battle, so the winner is Dewott!" the referee announced, waving a blue flag towards my side.

"Well done, Black!" Burgh grinned. "Your Dewott is a determined little one. But let's see how that determination fairs against my next pokémon. Go, Whirlipede!" He then sent out the round poison and bug type, and I became serious. From what I knew of them from battling the harlequins in the gym, they could be very enduring if the battle dragged on.

"Careful, Dewott," I warned. "This Whirlipede is strong." He nodded his understanding, and then I shouted, "Use Water Pulse!" The water type hurled the attack at Whirlipede, but before it could hit, Burgh told his pokémon to do something, but I couldn't hear it. Dewott's Water Pulse hit, but when the dust cleared, I gasped before gritting my teeth in frustration. Burgh had had Whirlipede use Protect!

"Be careful with your attacks, Black," the bug type user smirked. "Whirlipede, use Poison Tail!"

"Ah! No!" I yelped, but his Whirlipede was faster than I thought. Before I could have Dewott dodge, the poison and bug type struck my pokémon with the attack, making him faint with that one hit. "Dewott!" I ran over to him, propping him up carefully. He smiled up at me weakly, and I sighed in relief. "You did amazing. Get some rest, 'cause you earned it." Once I returned him to his pokéball, I stood on my side of the arena again, and then sent out Tranquil. "You can do this, Tranquil!" She gave a determined cry, spreading her wings wide before hovering on our side of the arena.

"Don't underestimate my Whirlipede, Black!" Burgh laughed. "Go, use Poison Tail!"

"Dodge and use Air Cutter!" I yelled before the round insect pokémon could move. Tranquil swiftly darted away from her opponent, narrowly avoiding being hit, and then flapped her wings rapidly, blowing the Air Cutter attack at Whirlipede. It was a successful strike, as Whirlipede cried out in pain from the repeated blows. "Awesome! Now, follow it up with Quick Attack!" She streaked towards Whirlipede, landing the hit, but when she flew away, I noticed she seemed to be hurting.

"Ah, so you've noticed my Whirlipede's ability, eh? Poison Point can be your worst enemy sometimes," Burgh called to me.

"We'll still get that badge!" I shouted. "Tranquil, use Air Cutter again!"

"Protect!" Whirlipede complied, the glowing green barrier quickly shielding itself from harm. "Now, use Poison Tail once more!"

"Counter it with Quick Attack!" The bird pokémon raced to meet Whirlipede, and they ricocheted of each other upon impact, both of them flying back into the opposite walls. When the dust cleared as they slid to the ground, it turned out they had both fainted.

"Both Whirlipede and Tranquil are unable to battle! Challenger Black is still in the lead!" the referee declared, and we returned our pokémon to their pokéballs. I knew who my last shot was, and it would be the only way for me to win this battle and earn my Beetle Badge.

"Go, Pignite!" I yelled, sending out my fire type. He gave a determined oink before looking back at me. "You can do this, Pignite! Just stay focused!"

"Type match-ups don't always matter, you know," Burgh commented as he pulled out his third and final pokéball. "Go, Leavanny!" The tall grass and bug type stood on Burgh's side of the arena, ready for battle.

"That may be true sometimes, but here they will!" I smirked. "Pignite, Flame Charge!" The pig pokémon charged up the flames, stamping the ground repeatedly as he did, before racing towards Leavanny while cloaked in those flames. Leavanny's eyes widened in horror, as did Burgh's, before he gave his lead pokémon an order.

"Use String Shot!"

"Not gonna work! Keep moving, and use Ember to burn that String Shot!" I shouted. Pignite gave a loud battle cry, and then shot out a trio of flames at the sticky thread, even going past the thread and burning Leavanny a bit. I realized his Ember had become Fire Pledge, which was awesome! Finally, my friend slammed into Leavanny, striking it hard, and the grass and bug type cried out in pain. Leavanny was sent flying, covered in flames as it skipped along the ground like a rock on water. Finally, it stopped moving, and when the smoke from the flames cleared, Leavanny was revealed to be beaten.

"Ah!" Burgh gasped. He ran to his pokemon, kneeling by its side and checking that it was okay before returning it to its pokeball and approaching Pignite and me. "Well done, Black. Your Pignite is a strong one, or else that Flame Charge wouldn't have defeated Leavanny in one hit."

"Thank you, Burgh. We wouldn't have given up anyway, would we, Pignite?" I asked, patting him on the head. The fire type grinned as he oinked happily.

"Good to hear. You'll need that determination for the remaining five gym leaders. But in recognition of your victory against me, I present to you the Beetle Badge!" he declared, and gave me a Beetle Badge. I grinned widely as I placed the badge into my case, and then shook hands with Burgh.

"Thanks again, Burgh. It was a great battle, and I know my team certainly enjoyed it," I told him, glancing at Pignite, who smiled up at me. "I'd better get moving, or else I'll be stuck here again for the night, and I'd like to get to the next city before it's too late."

"Then you'll be aiming for Nimbasa. Good luck to you, Black!" the bug type gym leader replied as I left. I waved to him, and then Pignite and I left, with me returning him to his pokeball before heading to the Pokemon Center so I could heal my team before leaving for Nimbasa City. As I was getting ready to leave Castelia through the gate, however, I spotted Cheren waiting by the entrance to the gate. Zorua and Servine popped out of their pokéballs when I clenched my fists, and Servine stuck close to me while Zorua crawled into my arms to comfort me. I decided to ignore him so I wouldn't have to deal with him, but unfortunately, he decided to approach me.

"Black!" he called out, but I ignored him as I entered the gate. "Black, you can't ignore me like this forever."

"And why not?" I snorted, glaring at him. "How did you even know I was here, anyway?"

"Bianca told me you helped her with her Musharna when Team Plasma stole it. And because we've been friends since we were little, growing up together," he pointed out. "Look, will you please just hear me out?"

"Why should I? You made it a very clear point that I should just abandon a pokemon when it was still just an egg, and to not trust someone when you know damn well how I treat people," I growled, lightly tightening my grip on Zorua, who refused to look at Cheren. The dark-haired teen noticed the little fox pokemon in my arms, and he stared at him for several seconds before speaking.

"N gave you a Zorua egg?" he breathed.

"Yeah, so what?" I asked, quirking a brow.

"N has a Zoroark, and it's a powerful one. I had no idea he'd bred it," he told me.

"What's the problem? Yeah, Zorua's a rare pokemon, but that doesn't mean you need to make a big deal out of it," I spat. "Besides, I'm his trainer now, not you, so piss off."

"Black, I'm trying to protect you!" he yelled, reaching out to grab my shoulder, but Servine stopped him with one of his vines.

"Cheren, do me a favor and leave me and my pokemon alone," I said coldly. "I understand that you're trying to protect me, but I don't want or need your protection. Just because you got an earlier start on your adventure compared to me doesn't mean that you're better than me at all. In fact, maybe you should stop acting superior to me."

"I'm not acting like I'm better than you!" he snapped. "For crying out loud, Black, what I'm trying to tell you is that N is part of Team Plasma!" I turned at stared at him when he said that, and then my expression morphed into a glare.

"Don't even think about lying to me like that again, Cheren, or you'll regret it immensely," I threatened. "I can't believe you're just blowing smoke up my ass to get me to abandon Zorua!"

"I'm not, dammit!" he cried out in frustration. "I'm telling you the truth!"

"Then if what you claim is true, then why would he give me an egg, knowing I would battle with Zorua and raise him?" I demanded. He fell silent at that, seeming uncertain of what to say. "Now leave me the fuck alone." I stormed off, Servine sticking close to me after letting go of Cheren's wrist. Once we were through the gate and out into the desert, I sighed heavily. I just can't believe Cheren would lie to me like that! N would never be a part of a foolish group like Team Plasma! He's too nice for that! I felt Servine's leafy hand grasp mine, and I gave him a sad smile.

"Sorry, pal. Thanks for helping me," I told him, and he trilled happily in response. "Guess Cheren's just gonna be an ass about this whole thing, huh?" My first partner nodded, and I sighed again. "Well, we'd better keep on moving, or else it'll be dark before we reach Nimbasa." Servine trilled again, so we trekked through the desert, toward our next destination and victory.

A/N: I apologize right now for any spelling errors or anything of the sort, I was working on this in Google Drive/Docs and I copied it over to Word so I could post this. Anyhoo, R&R, peeps!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry about the delays, everyone… I've been trying to keep on top of everything, but between my training at work, trying to catch up on sleep, being sick, and everything in between, I'm struggling… Anyhoo, N's "big reveal" is in this chapter, as everyone already knows. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this version of N & Black pairing up.

Journey Of Heart

Chapter 4

I was trekking through the desert to get to Nimbasa City, Zorua in my arms and Servine walking alongside me, and we were all three squinting against the sandstorm blowing against us. As I trudged through the sand, I thought I caught a glimpse of a shadow by the rocks, so I decided to go and investigate. As I got closer, Zorua yapped, struggling in my arms, and when I looked down at him, he looked like he was trying to get away from the figure hiding by the rocks. Even Servine bristled in warning, so I heeded my friends' unspoken advice and turned away, quickly heading to the concrete path where I could move more easily. Glancing back, I saw the shadow by the rocks was gone, with nothing left as evidence that someone or something was there. Narrowing my eyes suspiciously, I decided to continue on my way. After all, if my pokémon were nervous about that shadow, then I'd best steer clear. They have better instincts than me, anyway.

We passed through the gate to Nimbasa, where as I approached the steps to the street, I saw an elderly man being hassled by two Team Plasma grunts. They yelled at him about giving up the pokémon in his care, and he panicked, even as he noticed me there.

"Please, help me!" he pleaded, and I nodded.

"Of course, sir," I said, and I went to battle one of the grunts.

"Don't try and protect him, or we'll take your pokémon, too!" the grunt spat as he sent out a Sandile.

"Try me," I growled, and Servine stepped forward. "Servine, use Vine Whip!" My first partner nodded, and then struck the Sandile several times with his vines until it fainted.

"Ack!" the second grunt yelped. "We need to get out of here! Let's hide in amusement park!" And with that, the two grunts fled into the amusement park after returning Sandile to its pokéball. Before I could give chase, however, the elderly man came over to me.

"Thank you for that! They were after the pokémon I tend to at the Pokémon Day-Care on Route 3, but I couldn't let them just take those poor pokémon," he told me, and then pulled out a foldable bike from his own bag. "Here, you can have this as a sign of my gratitude. I'd always wanted to ride it around Nimbasa, but I never took the chance."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "If it means that much to you..."

"No, don't worry about it! Please, do take it, and I hope to see you at my day-care sometime!" he grinned, and then handed me the bike before leaving. Servine and Zorua, the latter of which having moved to my shoulder, watched me for a second before Servine trilled and pointed to the amusement park.

"Oh, right! Thanks, Servine, let's get moving," I said, and we quickly ran off to the area after I placed the folded-up bike in my bag. When we passed under the archway to the amusement park, I spotted N standing nearby, and then he noticed me.

"Black, it's good to see you. I saw two members of Team Plasma running past, but I lost sight of them," he informed me. "Maybe we can see them from the Ferris Wheel?"

"Good idea," I smiled, and returned Servine to his pokéball. As we climbed on, I immediately got an uneasy feeling, but I didn't understand why. Zorua seemed to sense my sudden discomfort, as he snuggled closer into my arms against my chest, soothing me a bit. Once the Ferris Wheel began to move, though, my unease grew, and then N told me something that felt like a complete betrayal.

"Black, first, I must tell you... I'm the king of Team Plasma," the green-haired teen murmured, and the last six words felt like powerful blows to my chest. Or was it my heart? I don't know... "Ghetsis asked me to help him save the pokémon, and I agreed."

"..." I couldn't even say anything, I felt so hurt. Why the fuck would someone as good as N help Ghetsis?! I didn't even understand why it hurt me so damn badly, which was the worst part. He didn't say anything after that, and when our car returned to the ground, I felt about ready to either bolt or drop. Finally, I managed to stagger out of the car, and N wasn't far behind when those same two grunts from before appeared, declaring how relieved they were that their 'king' was okay.

"I'll cover your escape, as you're both fellow servants to the king," N told them, and then turned to battle me. The grunts quickly fled again, and N pulled out a pokéball. Finally, I managed to muster up enough strength to speak.

"I can't believe you…" I breathed. "Why would you be so good to me, even though you're part of Team Plasma?!" The older teen appeared confused, but I didn't say anything more, just waited, glaring furiously until he hesitantly sent out a Sandile. I immediately sent out Servine, yelling, "Use Leaf Tornado!" The grass type complied, swiftly attacking his opponent with the whirlwind of leaves, and then returned to my side once it fainted. N returned the Sandile to its pokéball, and then sent out a Darumaka. Quickly, I switched out Servine for Dewott, and had him use Razor Shell. Another single hit defeat, and he swapped out for Scraggy. Immediately, I returned Dewott and sent out Tranquil, and had her quickly use Air Cutter, defeating her opponent with another single hit. By this point, N seemed almost wary and nervous, maybe even fearful, but I didn't care. I felt betrayed and hurt, and all I wanted was to cause hurt in return. Hesitantly, the green-haired teen sent out a Sigilyph after returning Scraggy to its pokéball, and I rotated Tranquil for Blitzle.

"Black... Don't do this. You can't be so vicious," N suddenly told me.

"Don't tell me what I can do! You've caused this!" I snarled, and he looked taken aback.

"I just want to help free the pokémon," he said simply.

"Well, then you're going about it completely wrong!" I spat. "Team Plasma is stealing pokémon from innocent people, claiming it's all for the good of the pokémon!"

"Humans are far from innocent," he snorted.

"Enough talk!" I shouted. "Blitzle, use Shock Wave!" He whinnied loudly, and then released the electric blast at Sigilyph. The psychic and flying type flew back, and then N frowned deeply.

"Use Psybeam, friend!" he called, and then it fired off the beam of psychic energy, striking Blitzle. He cried out in pain, nearly collapsing from the attack. I knew Psybeam had a varying amount of power, but that was crazy.

"Blitzle, you can do this!" I urged, and he struggled to right himself. Once he did, however, he began to glow brightly, and my eyes widened. Soon after, the glow diminished, and in Blitzle's place stood Zebstrika. "Awesome job! You evolved into Zebstrika!" I grinned, hugging my newly evolved pokémon around his neck while Zorua licked his cheek. "You ready to finish this?" He nickered softly, nuzzling me and Zorua, and I smiled. "Great! Now, finish off Sigilyph with Spark!" He cried out determinedly, and then charged at his opponent while cloaked in electricity. Sigilyph had no chance to dodge, and then Zebstrika slammed into it, sending it flying and making it faint once it hit the ground. "Great job, Zebstrika!" My electric type whinnied victoriously, and then looked at N as he returned Sigilyph to its pokéball.

"Black, I'm sorry. But this is my destiny, and I see a future for pokémon where they are free of contact with people," N murmured. "The only way you can stop me is by defeating me at the Pokémon League, where I plan on making all trainers release their pokémon. Try and stop me, if you can." And with that, he left, soon disappearing into the crowd. My shoulders slumped once he was gone, and I felt crushed as I fell to my knees. Zorua licked my cheek and Zebstrika nuzzled me, trying to comfort me, and I gave them both a miserable smile.

"Sorry, you guys," I whispered. "I guess Cheren was right about him…" Zorua shook his head, and I frowned slightly. "But he said he's the king of Team Plasma..." The little fox pokémon yipped and then growled, appearing to try and tell me N wasn't aware of Team Plasma's ulterior motives. "You're right, but I don't know how to tell him that and make him believe it... But I've got to try." He wagged his tail happily, smiling at me in response. "All right. We'll get to the Pokémon League, and then we'll make him realize the truth!" Zebstrika even nickered joyfully at that, and I chuckled. "We'll do it together."

"Black?" Bianca's voice called timidly, and I looked up, seeing my friend watching me with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay, Bianca," I sighed, getting up. "Just needed a bit of a wake-up call from my pokémon."

"All right, I just wanted to make sure. Cheren told me you guys argued again at the gate leaving Castelia, and I was hoping you weren't mad at me for telling him where you were…" she mumbled.

"Bianca, don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I'm still irritated with Cheren, but not as much," I assured her. "I just know that some things have changed now."

"Do you mind if I hang out with you for a bit? I met Elesa, the gym leader, when I first came through here, and she stopped my dad from making me go home," she said. "Besides, I want to thank her for helping me, and I want to watch you battle."

"I don't see why not," I shrugged as Zorua wagged his tail again. "Do you know what the gym layout is like?"

"No, but Cheren would, since he already got his badge," she replied. "But I think he told me it's like a roller coaster setup or something of that sort."

"Hell, if you're okay with riding them, then you're free to watch me battle Elesa," I smiled at her, and she grinned.

"Thank you, Black! Besides, I miss hanging out with you, and I don't count that incident in Castelia when Musharna was stolen because that wasn't really fun," she giggled. "Is your team okay to challenge the gym still? I know the desert can be pretty harsh..."

"I had best stop by the Pokémon Center first, or else I'll probably regret it later," I agreed. Standing up, I returned Zebstrika to his pokéball before letting Bianca lead me to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy happily healed my team.

"Will you both be staying here tonight?" she asked as she handed me back my pokéballs. Looking outside, I saw just how late it was, and sighed as I realized I wouldn't be able to challenge the gym yet.

"Yeah, I will, thank you," I smiled slightly, and she giggled before getting Bianca and me set up with two connecting rooms, and then told us there would be breakfast in the morning at eight, compliments of the Day Care man.

"What did she mean by that, Black?" my friend asked once Nurse Joy had left.

"I protected the Day Care man from a couple of Team Plasma thugs earlier, and I guess he was more grateful than I'd initially thought," I explained, pulling out a bag of chips and a sandwich I'd picked up at the Poké Mart yesterday. "They wanted to steal the pokémon in his care, apparently."

"That's terrible! Well, I'm glad you were there to help," she said. I nodded, humming my agreement around a mouthful of sandwich. The blonde stood up after a bit, stretching and yawning. "I'd best hit the hay, Black, but I'll see you in the morning, okay? Try and get some sleep."

"I will, Bianca. I just gotta call Mom over the Xtransceiver first and let her know how I'm doing," I replied.

"Oh! Good point, I'd better call Daddy, too, or else he'll worry," she nodded, and then left to her room. "Goodnight, Black!" she called through the door once it was shut.

"G'night, Bianca," I answered back. Zorua was sitting on the bed next to me, appearing to be half asleep, which made me smile in amusement. Carefully, I got up and padded to the bathroom to change, and then I returned to find the little dark type sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. Chuckling, I slid under the covers, setting Zorua on the pillow next to me before I called up Mom on the Xtransceiver.

"Hi, Black," she smiled when she picked up. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you in a couple of days..."

"Sorry, Mom. It's kinda been a bit crazy, but I won my second and third badges, and I'm staying at the Pokémon Center in Nimbasa City," I told her, and she grinned.

"That's fantastic, sweetie!" she praised. "How has Snivy been?"

"Everyone's been great, and Snivy actually evolved into Servine before my second gym battle," I informed her. "Tepig evolved into Pignite, and Oshawott also evolved into Dewott, while Pidove evolved into Tranquil, and today, Blitzle evolved into Zebstrika."

"You're all just growing as a team, huh?" she guessed with a small smile. "I'm happy for you, Black. How are things between you and Cheren?"

"...Still tense, but I might try to get a hold of him tomorrow," I sighed. "I'm not sure yet."

"Well, you guys haven't been friends since you were little for nothing," she pointed out. "Don't worry, you'll both work things out."

"I hope so, Mom, I hope so."

"How's Bianca been? You haven't mentioned her since you left," she asked after a moment of quiet.

"She's good. She'll be joining me tomorrow during my gym battle, and she's going to watch me," I grinned.

"Great! I'm glad she's doing well, because her father has been pestering me and Cheren's mother if we've heard from her," she complained.

"She said she was going to call him before bed tonight, so that should put him at ease for a bit," I laughed lightly.

"Thank goodness," she giggled. "Well, I won't keep you up, so get some sleep so you'll be ready for your gym battle tomorrow, okay?"

"Thanks, Mom, I will. I'll try and call tomorrow before bed," I said.

"I'll be here," she smiled. "Love you, Black. Goodnight."

"Love you, too, Mom. Goodnight," I replied, and then ended the call. Sighing heavily, I looked over at Zorua one last time before closing my eyes and going to sleep.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Knocking on the door woke me the next morning, followed by Bianca's voice.

"Black? Nurse Joy is here with breakfast. Can she come in?" she called through the wood.

"Um...yeah," I replied groggily, rubbing my right eye tiredly to try and rid myself of the sleepy feeling. The door opened, startling Zorua into waking, and he yelped as he fell off the bed with a thump. "Dammit," I hissed, and quickly reached over and scooped him up off the floor, setting him back on the bed. "You okay?" The dark type yipped tiredly, and I chuckled.

"Sorry for scaring your Zorua," Nurse Joy apologized. "I brought breakfast for you, courtesy of the Day Care man. I hope you enjoy it." She smiled kindly at me before leaving, and then Bianca walked in, fully dressed, and sat on the bed next to me.

"Mind if I join you? I have barely anything left to eat in my bag..." she asked with a sheepish expression.

"No problem, I don't mind," I smiled. "I just need to change first, and then I'll eat." She nodded happily, and then I grabbed my clothes before heading straight to the bathroom to get dressed. After getting dressed, I walked back out and sat down with Bianca, who was petting Zorua gently along his tuft.

"He's so soft," she commented when she noticed me.

"Yeah," I murmured.

"...Black?" my friend said after a few minutes into breakfast.

"Hmm?" I hummed around a mouthful of pancakes.

"What happened between you and Cheren yesterday?" she questioned, making me sigh after swallowing my food. "I don't mean to pry, I just want to help..."

"No, it's okay," I assured her. "We...we argued about Zorua and N. He told me N is part of Team Plasma, but I didn't believe him. But yesterday, when you found me, I had just found out N's the king of Team Plasma, and I had beaten him in another battle. For some reason, it hurt incredibly badly to find out that someone I felt I could trust completely was part of something so awful..." Bianca frowned in thought, gazing at her food for several moments, and then said something I didn't expect at all.

"You like him as more than a friend, don't you?" she guessed. I nearly choked on my orange juice at her statement, and had to quickly clear out the juice from my windpipe by coughing for a minute or two before I could speak.

"Why do you say that?" I wheezed.

"Because I can tell. Besides, you've never shown any interest in any girls from home, and I'm a little more in tune with you and Cheren more than you guys think, even if I am a bit ditzy," she giggled. I turned red with embarrassment, unable to look at her at all. "Black, it's fine. I'm fine with it. And even if N is the king of Team Plasma, I know he won't be forever. He'll have to see that what they're doing is wrong eventually."

"...You sure?" I mumbled, still able to feel the burn in my cheeks.

"Of course! I've met him when he battled Cheren once, and he's honestly against battling, but he still seems to be uncertain about doing battles himself, which is why he's challenged you and Cheren," she told me.

"It just hurt so badly when he told me… I can't help but feel betrayed," I muttered.

"You like him that much, huh?" she asked, a sympathetic smile forming on her face at my nod. "It'll help if you two can properly talk it out, I'm just not sure about his own feelings. I'm able to read those I'm close to, but since I'm not close to N, I can't really tell. Look, try not to think too much on it now, because you have a gym match today!"

"Right..." I nodded, and continued to eat my breakfast. After a couple minutes longer, however, I murmured, "Thanks, Bianca."

"Anytime!" she chirped. "That's what friends are for!"

"Still, it helps," I smiled slightly, and she smiled back before we resumed eating. We ate until there was nothing left on the cart, and then I straightened up the bed before gathering up my things and plucking Zorua off the bed. "Ready?"

"Yep! Let's go to the gym!" she grinned brightly. We headed out to the lobby, where we both thanked Nurse Joy gratefully as we left. As we walked to the Pokémon Gym, I thought about what Bianca had told me. I knew she was right about N, that he would see the light eventually, but it was still hard to believe that he was the king of that damned group of pokémon thieves. Finally, we arrived at the amusement park, where there was no line to the gym, surprisingly, but the Ferris wheel line was long as hell. The sight of the Ferris wheel nearly made my blood boil from yesterday's events, but Zorua sensed my tension and licked my chin, distracting me.

"Sorry," I whispered when I looked down at him. He merely smiled and yipped, wagging his tail out of relief that he had succeeded in calming me down. As we walked into the gym, I was nearly blinded by the darkness of the room, if not for the neon lights from the roller coasters and their corresponding tracks. Those lights helped me to see easier, and I headed for the first roller coaster car. Bianca stuck close to me, and we rode the first one with ease, and then I battled the gym trainers as we made our way to the end, where Elesa was waiting. Eventually, we reached the final coaster before Elesa, and Bianca squealed loudly when it went upside down, but I laughed with exhilaration. I climbed out first, and then helped my friend out since she was shaking from fear.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"Y-yeah, I'll be f-fine," she stuttered. "Let's just get to Elesa so you can challenge her."

"All right," I nodded, adjusting my grip on Zorua. I led the blonde to the arena where Elesa was indeed waiting, and she smiled when she saw my friend.

"Bianca, it's good to see you again!" she greeted, and then noticed me. "Is this your friend who had to stay behind when you started out?"

"Yeah, this is Black, and he's here to challenge you for his fourth badge!" Bianca chirped.

"It's nice to meet you, Black," Elesa smiled, shaking hands with me. "I'm sure Bianca told you how we met."

"She did. Thank you for that," I told her. "It really helped her out."

"Of course. Now, are you ready to earn your next badge? Because I'm certainly not going to just hand it over," she smirked.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," I chuckled.

"Great! Then follow me," she said, and I followed the electric type gym leader to the arena, where we took our places while Bianca stood off to the side, watching.

"The match between challenger Black and gym leader Elesa will now begin!" the referee called out. Elesa was first to send out her first choice, Emolga. I knew Dewott, Pignite, Servine, and Tranquil would be at a complete disadvantage here due to Emolga's dual type of electric and flying, so I pulled out Zebstrika's pokéball.

"Go, Zebstrika!" I yelled, and he cried out as he took his place.

"You can do it, Zebstrika!" Bianca cheered from the sidelines, making me grin.

"Thanks, Bianca," I smiled. "Zebstrika, use Spark!" My electric type complied, charging at Emolga while covered in electricity.

"Double Team!" she ordered, and her Emolga quickly used the move, making several copies of itself and confusing Zebstrika. He stopped moving, looking about at the copies in a panic.

"Calm down, Zebstrika!" I urged, and he nodded once, his sides heaving slightly as he took a deep breath. "Now, use Shock Wave!" He whinnied loudly before releasing a powerful burst of electricity that destroyed all of the copies and striking Elesa's Emolga itself. It cried out in pain, but then righted itself in midair before it could hit the wall.

"Emolga, Quick Attack!" Elesa told her pokémon, who immediately streaked towards Zebstrika, slamming into him. Zebstrika skidded back along the floor from the force of the impact, and then glared fiercely at Emolga.

"Hit it back with Flame Charge!" I shouted, knowing that if this dragged out, then I was screwed. I couldn't use four of my pokémon on her damn Emolga, so I was down to Zebstrika and Zorua, and since Zorua's new Dig attack that he learned back in the desert wouldn't affect Emolga, it was really up to Zebstrika. The zebra pokémon dashed at Emolga, cloaked in flames, and struck it powerfully, sending it flying off into the wall where it slid to the floor, defeated.

"Emolga is unable to battle! Zebstrika wins!" the referee announced.

"Well done, Black, but we're not finished yet!" Elesa declared as she switched out Emolga for her next pokémon. "Go, Emolga!" She then sent out a second one.

"Seriously? Another one?" I frowned, but then regained my composure. "All right, but we'll beat this one just like the last!"

"Try this on for size, then," she smirked. "Emolga, use Double Team, and follow it up with Aerial Ace!" Her second electric and flying type cried out as it did as told, and then the copies all struck Zebstrika in succession.

"No!" I yelped as he was hit several times. He appeared to be struggling to stand after that, but quickly shook it off. "Shock Wave! Take out those copies!" Once they were gone and Emolga was stunned from the blow, I yelled, "Now, follow it up with Spark!" Instead of running at Emolga while covered in electricity, however, he fired an electric beam at it, taking it out. I immediately recognized the move as Charge Beam. "Awesome, Zebstrika! You learned Charge Beam!" He nickered in a pleased manner at my praise.

"Emolga is unable to battle! Zebstrika wins!" the referee declared. Elesa returned Emolga to its pokéball, and then pulled out her last pokéball.

"All right, here's my last pokémon, Black. If you can defeat it, the badge is yours!" she told me.

"Then we'll give it all we've got!" I grinned.

"Okay, I warned you," she smirked, and then sent out a Zebstrika of her own. My Zebstrika narrowed his eyes at his new opponent, and I growled quietly under my breath. Even Zorua bristled at the sight of our last foe. "Now, use Flame Charge!"

"Counter it with your own Flame Charge!" I ordered. The pair met head on, slamming into each other with a fiery blast.

"Hit it with Quick Attack!" Suddenly, her Zebstrika sent mine flying, and he fell to the floor, defeated.

"Black's Zebstrika is unable to battle! Leader Elesa's Zebstrika wins!" the referee announced.

"Dammit," I growled, returning him to his pokéball. "You did well, pal. Get some rest." I was about to pull Pignite's pokéball off of my belt, but then I felt Zorua tug on my pant leg with a paw. "You want to go for it?" I asked. He nodded, and then ran out onto the arena.

"So, Zorua's your next choice, huh?" Elesa asked. "We'll still keep it up!"

"Just watch!" I snapped. "Zorua, use Foul Play!" My dark type threw himself at Zebstrika, cloaked in dark energy, and hit it hard, sending it flying. "I love that move!" I grinned.

"Damn," she hissed. "Zebstrika, Volt Switch!"

"Dig!" I yelled, and Zorua burrowed under the ground right before the electrical attack could hit him. Out of nowhere, he shot from under Zebstrika, striking it and sending it skidding back.

"Counter with Spark!" she shouted. Her Zebstrika launched itself at Zorua, smacking into him and sending him flying back.

"Zorua!" I gasped as he yelped painfully upon hitting the wall. As he slid to the floor, I watched helplessly as he fought to stand. Once he stood, that's when he began to glow. His form grew larger and changed in shape, and then the glow burst away to reveal my newly evolved Zoroark. He cried out angrily at Zebstrika before raising his arms while they were covered with a black and red energy, and then threw them down, sending the energy exploding through the ground, heading straight for Zebstrika. The electric type's eyes widened in alarm as the attack, which I recognized as Night Daze, burst out of the ground at it, and then struck. Zebstrika cried out in pain, and then collapsed, beaten.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle! Zoroark wins, which means Black is the victor!" the referee declared, and I grinned widely. Running over to Zoroark, I hugged him, proud of him and his win.

"You did it, Zoroark!" I laughed. "And you evolved, too!"

"That was a great battle!" Elesa called out as she approached. "I haven't had a challenge like that in quite a long time."

"Thanks, Elesa," I smiled. "You certainly didn't make it easy for us, that's for sure."

"Good to hear. Now, in recognition of your victory, I present you with the Bolt Badge," she told me, and gave me my fourth badge. I placed it in my badge case, and then shook hands with the electric type gym leader. "Now, I know the drawbridge to Driftveil City is raised right now, so I'll contact the gym leader there and let him know he has a new challenger with great potential. Feel free to head over after a stop by the Pokémon Center, okay?"

"Sure thing," I nodded, and smiled at Zoroark before returning him to his pokéball. Bianca ran up to me as Elesa walked off, dialing a number on her Xtransceiver, and my friend hugged me tightly.

"You did it, Black! Now you just need four more badges, and then you'll be able to go to the Pokémon League!" she cheered.

"Thanks, Bianca," I chuckled. "Gonna head to the bridge with me?"

"Yeah, let's go to Driftveil City together!" she grinned. "But first, a visit to the Pokémon Center for your pokémon."

"Right, good point," I agreed, and we waved to Elesa before leaving on the roller coaster that led to the entrance. Once we got outside, I was startled by a familiar voice.

"Black, you got your fourth badge, huh?" Cheren's voice called from near the Ferris wheel. I glared at him, irritated by the surprise in his voice.

"Of course he did! Black's a great trainer!" Bianca answered for me, noticing my glare.

"I don't doubt that, I'm just surprised you're getting your badges so quickly," he replied.

"Cheren! Be nice!" the blonde snapped, hands on her hips. Zoroark popped out of his pokéball at that moment, growling at Cheren. His eyes widened behind his glasses when he saw the evolved dark type, and he stared at me.

"You evolved Zorua, even after I advised you to give it back to N?" he demanded.

"Of course I did! In fact, he just evolved during this last gym battle!" I yelled. "Look, I know you were right that N is part of Team Plasma, but I know he's not aware of their real intentions, so I'm going to show him the truth."

"How are you gonna do that?" Cheren frowned.

"Not sure yet, but I'll manage it," I replied coolly, and began to head towards the Pokémon Center, Zoroark following close behind me. I could feel Bianca hesitate, but then she followed me, and I sighed as we reached the familiar red building. "Why can't he just leave me alone? I just don't get it!"

"I'll talk to him, Black. I won't blame you if you go on ahead, but don't forget that we're your friends, and we'll always be there for you, okay?" she reminded me.

"I know. Thanks, Bianca. I'll go on ahead to Driftveil," I murmured. She nodded before leaving, and then I headed into the Pokémon Center to heal my team. While Nurse Joy healed my pokémon, I waited patiently, and then thanked the pinkette after she handed me back my pokéballs. Once they were clipped back onto my belt, I began to head out for the west end of Nimbasa towards the bridge along Route 5. As I exited the gate, entering Route 5, I stopped when I heard a voice call out a greeting to me.

"Hello, young trainer!" the voice greeted, and the owner approached me, an older man with wild red hair and tanned skin. He wore his pokéballs around his neck like a necklace, surprisingly, and he gave me a concerned look when he saw my face. "Can I help you? You seem troubled."

"Don't know, unless you know how to mend a damaged friendship," I shrugged, lowering my gaze.

"That would depend on the situation," the man replied honestly. "But there **is** something that should make you smile."

"And that would be…?" I asked, quirking a brow.

"Come with me, and I'll show you," he said mysteriously, leading me along the route, closer to the bridge. As we walked, he added, "By the way, I'm Alder, the Unova League Champion."

"What?! What's the Champion doing away from the Pokémon League, though?" I yelped.

"Just journeying and taking some time off. We haven't had any challengers in a while, so I'm out to enjoy the sights," he answered with a shrug. "What's your name, trainer?"

"My name's Black," I told him. "I remember my friend Cheren mentioned meeting you once. He said he thought you were lazy when you guys first met."

"Yes, he did. But I changed his mind shortly after," he smirked.

"What, with a battle?" I asked.

"Yup. It only took one of my pokémon to defeat him, and he apologized profusely afterwards, becoming very humble," Alder chuckled. "I take it you'd rather not challenge me yourself, huh?"

"No, not yet," I laughed lightly. And then he stopped walking, making me pause. "What's wrong?"

"We're here," he replied, and then turned me to look at the area. What I saw instantly made me smile warmly. There were two young children playing with a couple of Herdier while being watched by their parents nearby, dancers dancing to the music played by a guitarist on the sidelines, and several people socializing as they waited for food coming from a trailer. "It's good to see everyone so happy and peaceful, hmm?"

"Yeah, it is," I nodded, my gaze focused mainly on the children playing with the two Herdier. It reminded me of the days when Cheren, Bianca, and I were little kids, playing with some of the pokémon in Professor Juniper's lab, mainly her Mincino.

"Want to give them some excitement?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"I see someone who you can battle, and not be too much trouble for you," he explained.

"Um, okay," I said, and he approached the trainer before bringing her back over.

"Black, this is Denise, and she'll be your opponent," he told me. "Denise, this is Black."

"Nice to meet you," she smiled. "I'm trying to get stronger, so hopefully we'll both gain from this experience!"

"Agreed," I chuckled, shaking her hand. "Ready for this?"

"Of course!" she grinned, and then we took our positions across from each other for our battle. "I'll go first! Go, Deerling!" She then sent out a Deerling, its coat colored pink for the spring season.

"All right, then I'll use Pignite!" I yelled, sending out the aforementioned fire type. He cried out eagerly, exhaling flames from his nostrils.

"Ready, you two? Start!" Alder called out, and then Denise went first.

"Deerling, use Jump Kick!" Denise shouted, and her Deerling swiftly leapt at Pignite, landing a powerful kick on him.

"Pignite! Are you okay?" I demanded of my pokémon as he got back to his feet near me. Pignite gave an angry oink, and nodded firmly. "All right, then use Flame Charge!" The pig pokémon stomped his feet as he cloaked himself in flames, and then rushed at Deerling, slamming into it. The grass and normal type flew back, landing by Denise in a heap.

"Deerling!" Denise wailed. "Can you keep going?"

"Deer! Ling!" her pokémon cried out, getting up.

"Great, now use Take Down!" she ordered, and the deer pokémon charged at Pignite.

"Brace yourself, Pignite! You can take it!" I yelled. He nodded, and then dug his feet into the ground as his opponent neared. When Deerling smacked into him, he grunted as he slid back a couple of feet. "Finish it with Arm Thrust!" Pignite quickly used the attack, striking Deerling repeatedly, and once he finished, he backed away as Deerling fainted. "Awesome job, Pignite!"

"Pignite!" he cheered, running over to me. I hugged my fire type, and then returned him to his pokéball. I then pulled Tranquil's pokéball from my belt and sent her out.

"Ready to battle, Tranquil?" I asked, and she cried out eagerly, spreading her wings wide from where she stood on the pavement.

"Okay, then I'll use Mincino!" Denise declared, and sent out said pokémon. "All right, Mincino, use Tail Slap!"

"Into the air!" I commanded, and Tranquil took flight, narrowing avoiding the attack.

"Swift!" she called. Mincino launched the star shapes from its tail at Tranquil, and they struck her successfully. My bird pokémon cried out in pain, and I growled under my breath.

"Tranquil, use Air Cutter!" I yelled. She flapped her wings rapidly, and the attack struck Mincino quickly and repeatedly. "Follow it up with Quick Attack!" With a loud cry, Tranquil shot at Mincino, slamming into it powerfully and making it faint. "That was great, Tranquil!" I praised as she landed on my forearm. Tranquil nuzzled my cheek, and I chuckled before returning her to her pokéball. Denise returned Mincino to its pokéball, and then sighed.

"Looks like I lost," she said. "Those are my only two pokémon right now, but I definitely will catch more!" Her expression brightened as she spoke, making me smile.

"Good to know. Besides, you'll be able to broaden your horizons like that," I told her. "I know I have, thanks to my friends."

"That's wonderful," she giggled. "I have my friends, but they're already back home from their journeys. So I'm travelling alone. But I'm not really alone as long as I have my pokémon!"

"Very true," I nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Denise. I've got to keep going, since I'm aiming for Driftveil City's gym next."

"Well, good luck on your journey, Black! I hope we meet again!" Denise grinned, and I laughed.

"I hope so, too," I smiled, and then turned to Alder. "Thank you, Alder. I'll see you around."

"Of course, Black. Good luck on your journey," he said, and then I left, heading towards the bridge to Driftveil. I just prayed that Bianca was right, and that N would come to realize the truth soon enough. And if not, then I would do my best to help him.

A/N: I hope this lengthy chapter makes up for the wait! It came out to be 12 pages, which is impressive! R&R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: My god, I didn't realize I hadn't updated this in over a year! Sorry I've been slacking, everyone, but I was in the hospital recently for a perforated colon and an abscess on my colon as a result from the bacteria. Still trying to recover from that… And what sucked the most is that I was in the hospital on my birthday! *sighs* Anyhoo, I hope this makes up for the over-a-year-late update! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this version of N & Black pairing up.

Journey Of Heart

Chapter 5

As I finished crossing the bridge to Driftveil City, I heard a small commotion from further in, and I frowned. Hurrying across the smaller bridge over the water, I saw Cheren speaking with some man who seemed irritated, and I paused. I wasn't sure if I should even bother approaching, so I didn't. Instead, I made my way to the Pokémon Center to stay the night.

"Hello! How can I help you this evening?" Nurse Joy greeted.

"I need to stay the night, if you have an open room," I told her.

"Of course, we always have space, especially for travelling trainers," she smiled, turning to guide me to a room. "Follow me." I followed Nurse Joy into the back, where she led me to an empty room. "Here we go! Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure thing. Thank you, Nurse Joy," I said kindly, smiling slightly.

"Of course. Sleep well!" she chimed brightly, and then left, leaving me by myself once the door closed. After a few minutes of standing in the room, I decided to feed my pokémon and then change so I could get some sleep. I set out the bowls and filled them, and then let my pokémon out of their pokéballs. Servine looked at me curiously before eating, and even then, he seemed concerned. Zoroark seemed to feel the same, appearing worried about me as I got my sleep clothes out to change into. By the time I had come out of the bathroom after changing, my team had finished eating, and they were waiting for me.

"Hey guys," I murmured, petting each of their heads briefly as I made my way to the bed and sat down. Servine trilled softly as he rested his head on my leg, and Zoroark nuzzled my cheek with a quiet rumble as he placed his clawed hand on my other leg. My other pokémon watched this curiously, but they seemed to realize what was going on. With a smile, I watched as the others gathered around me, hugging me together. "Thanks, guys. We'll get through this, as a team," I whispered, tearing up. My pokémon all relaxed at my words, and then they let me go. "Let's get some sleep, everyone. We'll need it for tomorrow's gym battle." They chimed their agreement, so I returned them to their pokéballs. Before going to sleep, however, I decided to call Mom on the Xtransceiver. She picked up after two rings, and then smiled brightly when she saw me.

"Hey sweetie! How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm doing okay," I shrugged. "I got my fourth badge today, and Zorua evolved during the battle."

"You don't sound too happy about it," she commented.

"Only because after I got out of the gym, Cheren pretty much insulted my skills, saying he was surprised I was getting stronger so quickly. And it was in a condescending tone, too," I explained softly.

"I'm so sorry, Black…" she sighed. "Should I say something to his family?"

"No, it'll be okay," I replied, shaking my head. "Bianca already spoke with him, I think."

"Is she still with you for now?" Mom questioned.

"Nah, she stayed behind in Nimbasa to talk to him," I answered. "She said she would try and make him behave."

"Good to know," Mom nodded. "I hope he listens, for your sake."

"Same here," I murmured.

"Now, what else is going on? That's obviously not the only thing bothering you," she said. At my surprised look, she giggled. "I'm your mother, Black. I know you very well. So what's going on?"

"You know that guy I told you about who gave me the egg with Zorua in it?" I said, and she nodded. "His name is N, and I've…developed feelings for him, I think."

"That's great, Black! Does he know?" Mom smiled brightly.

"No, not yet… And I don't know how to tell him…" I mumbled. "Besides, he told me yesterday he's the king of Team Plasma."

"That group trying to 'liberate' pokémon from their trainers and families?" she frowned. "Why would he be a part of their group?"

"He…he seems to be apprehensive about battling," I sighed. "He'd rather befriend pokémon than catch them, so it kind of makes sense, considering he doesn't seem to realize what their true intentions are."

"I think he'll eventually realize the truth, sweetie. But for now, just try and help him to see it," Mom advised. "Don't worry too much on it, okay? After all, I'm sure you want to enjoy your journey, am I right?"

"I do, and I am," I smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

"Of course, anytime!" she grinned. "Now, get some sleep, that way you can challenge the Driftveil City gym tomorrow!"

"Yes, ma'am," I chuckled. "Goodnight, Mom. I'll try and call tomorrow night, but I can't make any promises."

"It's no trouble, Black. Just call me when you can," she assured me, and I nodded. "Goodnight, sweetie. Talk to you soon."

"Talk to you soon," I agreed, and then I ended the call. As I went to sleep, I knew Mom was right. Try and enjoy my journey, but also help N to see the truth. Hopefully that would work out…

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

The next morning, I woke up to a knock at the door. Yawning, I sat up, and then shuffled to the door, still dressed in my sleep t-shirt and shorts, before looking through the peephole. To my complete and utter shock, it was Cheren.

"Black? I know you're in there. Nurse Joy told me you were staying here," he called through the door. "I just want to talk." I gave a quiet sigh, and then unlocked and opened the door.

"Come on in," I muttered, and he entered. Once I closed the door, I added, "Let me get dressed first." The dark-haired teen nodded, and I grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom, where I changed into my usual attire. When I finished, I headed back out, where I started to grab a breakfast bar from my bag.

"Can we talk over breakfast? There's a diner nearby, and I'm sure you're tired of breakfast bars all the time. I'll even cover the bill," Cheren offered. After a moment of hesitation, I nodded, slipping my bag over my shoulder. I allowed Cheren to lead me out and away to the diner, where we were seated in a booth by the window. Checking my Xtransceiver, I saw it was only eight in the morning.

"Pretty early for you to be up," I remarked as I sat down.

"Actually, I had been up for a while. I felt bad about giving you so much shit lately, and I still feel guilty," he sighed. "I couldn't sleep because of it, so I decided to see if you were in the Pokémon Center, and Nurse Joy told me which room you were in."

"…You basically insulted me as a trainer, Cheren," I finally mumbled.

"I'm truly sorry for that," he apologized sincerely. "And I'm sorry for trying to make you get rid of Zorua when it was still an egg, after it hatched, and even after evolving into Zoroark. I'm also sorry for trying to make you doubt N. Bianca told me what happened, and she also shared how you want to help him see Team Plasma's true intentions."

"Thank you," I murmured. "I truly do want to help N see the truth, and I'm glad you understand that now."

"Yeah, I do. After all, you never can turn a blind eye to someone who needs help," Cheren smiled a bit.

"Exactly," I nodded, smirking slightly. The waitress returned then, and we placed our orders and thanked her as she left. It wasn't long until our food came out, and as we ate, I asked, "Who was that guy you were talking to yesterday?"

"Hm? Oh, that was Clay, the gym leader of Driftveil City," he told me. "He's having some trouble with Team Plasma, and was asking me for some help."

"Where are they?" I questioned.

"They're apparently hiding out in the Cold Storage, but I'll need some extra help, considering there's more than I can handle alone," he admitted.

"Mind if I tag along, then? I can help," I offered.

"Sure. Just be careful, okay?" he said, making me snort and roll my eyes.

"I'll be just fine, Cheren," I assured him. "I've battled Team Plasma before."

"All right," my friend nodded, and then we finished our breakfast. Cheren paid the tab, and then we left, heading for the Cold Storage. "I'll look around, but feel free to go on ahead."

"Sounds good," I agreed, and headed inside the freezing building. I shivered as I shut the door behind me, but decided to suck it up and proceed on my search for Team Plasma. I slid across ice on the floor, battled a few workers here and there, and then I reached a storage unit in the back. Cheren caught up with me then, and we looked at each other.

"Do you think they're in there?" he asked.

"I haven't seen them yet, so they have to be," I replied with a one-shouldered shrug.

"Then let's find out," the dark-haired teen nodded, and led me into the storage unit. Once inside, we saw a group of Team Plasma grunts huddled around one of the sages, providing him some warmth.

"What the hell?" I frowned. "You guys chose to hide out in the coldest part of town? Why?"

"Get them out of here!" the sage barked at the grunts, and then all eight of them lined up in front of us and blocked us off from reaching the sage. Cheren and I battled all of them, and once they were beaten, Clay came in with four of the Cold Storage's workers.

"So this is where ya'll were hiding," he said. Looking to the workers, he ordered, "Take 'em away, boys!" There was some grumbling from the Team Plasma grunts as they were unwillingly escorted out. Once they were all gone, Clay turned to us. "Seems I owe you and your pal here thanks, Cheren," he grunted.

"Clay, this is my friend, Black. He's pretty tough as a trainer," Cheren told him.

"Nice to meet you, sir," I smiled. Clay chuckled after watching me for a moment.

"Seems like I have a good challenger on my hands," he smirked. "I'm lookin' forward to yer challenge, Black."

"Same here, Clay," I nodded, and the Driftveil City gym leader turned to leave.

"Then you'd best get to my gym. I'll see you there," he said gruffly before leaving. Once he was gone, I looked at Cheren.

"Want to see me wipe the floor with him?" I smirked.

"I wouldn't say you'd do that, but I'd like to see how you fare against Clay," the dark-haired teen chuckled. "After all, he made me work for that Quake Badge of his."

"I'm sure," I grinned. "But let's get out of here, since it's damn cold in here…"

"Good point," Cheren agreed, and we left the Cold Storage. Once outside, I stretched my arms over my head, glad to be out in the afternoon sunshine again.

"Oh thank Arceus it's still light out," I sighed.

"So, do you want to challenge the gym now? Or would you rather wait until tomorrow?" my friend asked.

"I'd rather challenge Clay today," I replied. "I'm eager to get my next badge, after all."

"As long as you're ready to face off with Clay's ground types," he shrugged.

"You know it," I chuckled, beginning to head off to the main part of the city. "Servine and Dewott are ready for a challenge."

"Just be careful of Clay's Excadrill," Cheren warned.

"Why?"

"It's ground and steel, so Servine's grass type moves won't be as effective as they would be against a regular ground type."

"Well, I'm sure Dewott can handle it," I assured him as we walked. Before going to the gym, however, I headed to the Pokémon Center to heal my team first. After all, I need them to be in their best condition for this gym battle. After healing my team and we were about to head to the gym, we were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey guys!" Bianca's voice called out to us. We looked to see her running over to us with a pleased grin on her face. When she joined us, she giggled. "Looks like you two made up~" she smiled.

"Yeah, Cheren treated me to breakfast this morning after apologizing for what he said and for waking me up around eight this morning," I chuckled, giving the dark-haired teen a pointed look.

"Cheren! Why'd you wake him up?" Bianca scolded. "You know better than anyone that all trainers need their rest!"

"Sorry, sorry!" he said quickly. "It was just bothering me that I'd upset him that badly…"

"Still, Cheren… And you call ME a ditz…" she sighed, shaking her head. Cheren gaped at her, and then sighed as well, making me laugh. My friends looked at me, and I snickered.

"You two argue like an old married couple," I explained with another laugh. This made Bianca blush while Cheren gawked at me, which was unlike him.

"You're being silly, Black," the blonde huffed, pulling her hat down over her eyes in embarrassment. I merely laughed again, and once she recovered, she asked, "So, what were you guys going to do?"

"We're going to the gym so I can challenge Clay for the Quake Badge, and Cheren's gonna watch," I answered. "Wanna come with?"

"Sure!" she chirped. "Besides, I bet Samurott would like to see Servine and Dewott battle!"

"Same goes for Emboar," Cheren added.

"Then let them watch," I chuckled. "I'm sure they'll be pleased with how I've progressed as a Trainer, and how my pokémon have grown." My friends laughed, and then we headed off to the gym. Clay was waiting for me when we got there, and he gave a slight smile.

"Seems ya brought yer support, huh?" he asked.

"Yup, and they're gonna watch," I replied with a nod.

"Well, I hope yer ready for this," he said gruffly. "'Cause I ain't gonna go easy on ya."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," I laughed.

"Good," he grunted, and we took our places on opposite ends of the arena. Bianca let Samurott out of its pokéball to watch while Cheren did the same with his Emboar.

"The match between challenger Black and gym leader Clay will now begin!" the referee on the sidelines declared.

"I'll let you take the first shot, but here we go! Go, Krokorok!" And with that, he sent out his first pokémon, the large dark and ground type growling, eager for battle.

"All right, fine," I nodded, and pulled the correct pokéball from my belt. "Go, Servine!" Servine trilled loudly, prepared to face off against Krokorok. "Okay Servine, use Leaf Tornado!"

"Ser! Vine!" Servine cried out, attacking his opponent with the flurry of leaves from his tail. Krokorok cried out in pain, and then shook its head to clear it.

"Use Swagger, Krokorok!" Clay ordered. Krokorok then used the move, making Servine angry, but once his attack rose, he became confused.

"No!" I yelped. This is why I hate that move… The raised attack power is nice, but it means more damage dealt on self-inflicted attacks when too confused to attack the opponent. "Servine, come on, snap out of it! Use Leaf Blade!" Instead of using Vine Whip, thought, Servine attacked himself, too confused to attack. "Dammit," I growled, and pulled Servine's pokéball out. "Servine, return!" I then returned him to his pokéball, and switched out for Dewott's ball. "Come on out, Dewott!" My water type gave a determined cry upon appearing on the battlefield, and he glared at Krokorok.

"So, you're gonna try a water type this time, huh?" Clay remarked.

"Yup. I know my type advantages," I nodded. "Dewott, use Razor Shell!" The otter pokémon whipped out his scalchops and ran at Krokorok as they became charged up with the water blades. He swiftly sliced at Krokorok with his scalchops, sending it flying back into the wall. "Follow it up with Water Pulse!" Dewott threw the attack at his opponent, and then Krokorok slid to the ground from the powerful splash, defeated. I grinned widely, pleased that the dark and ground type was defeated. Dewott cried out loudly from his victory, proud that he'd won.

"Leader Clay's Krokorok is unable to battle! Black's Dewott is the winner!" the referee announced.

"Great job, Dewott!" I praised. The sound of Bianca's Samurott giving a praising shout from where it stood by Bianca had me laughing.

"Dewott!" my water type crowed. Clay returned Krokorok to its pokéball before pulling out the pokéball for his next pokémon.

"Hrmph. Let's see how you handle this next one. Go, Palpitoad!" he grunted, and then sent out the water and ground type, which cried out loudly upon appearing.

"Take a break for now, Dewott," I said, returning the otter pokémon to his pokéball before switching out for Servine. "Come on out, Servine!"

As soon as Servine appeared from his pokéball, he trilled in a determined way, making me grin widely.

"Let's see how yer Servine handles this," Clay muttered, before yelling, "Palpitoad, use Bulldoze!"

"Pal…pi…toad!" Palpitoad cried out, and then the ground shook fiercely as Servine was hit with the ground type move. I knew from what Cheren had told me that Bulldoze slows down the opponent with each successful hit, so I knew I needed to end this quick before Servine slowed down too much.

"You can do it, Servine! Use Mega Drain!" I ordered.

"Ser…vine!" the grass snake pokémon shouted, and then Palpitoad was struck with the health-draining move, and it cried out in pain as Servine's health was restored. Palpitoad collapsed to the ground from the attack, unable to battle.

"Leader Clay's Palpitoad is unable to battle! Black's Servine is the winner!" the referee called, and Servine trilled proudly, pleased by his win.

"Awesome job, Servine! Let's wrap things up, okay?" I said as my grass type trotted over to me with a happy smile. I chuckled as I heard Emboar and Samurott cheer from behind me.

"Servine," he nodded.

"All right, squirt, let's see how ya handle my last pokémon," Clay harrumphed, returning his Palpitoad to its pokéball and pulling out his last one. He then yelled, "Go, Excadrill!"

"Excadrill!" the drilling pokémon growled, poised in a menacing manner with its claws spread.

"Ready to go, Servine?" I asked.

"Servine!" the grass snake pokémon nodded eagerly.

"Good, then use Leaf Tornado!" I ordered.

"Ser! Vine!" Servine cried out, and then caught Excadrill in the flurry of leaves from his tail with ease. Excadrill winced and squinted after the attack ended, its accuracy lowered from the move.

"Hone Claws!" Clay barked, and Excadrill gave a shout before its claws shone briefly, and I knew what that meant. Hone Claws raises the user's attack and accuracy, which meant I didn't have much time until its attacks would be too powerful for me to do anything.

"Quick! Servine, use Leaf Blade!" I yelled, and Servine was swift to react, slashing Excadrill with his tail as it glowed bright green from the attack. Excadrill slid back from the force, growling as it took the hit.

"Take it out, Excadrill! Use Slash!" Clay commanded, and the steel and ground type leapt at Servine, slashing it powerfully with its clawed hand. Servine flew back from the impact with a cry, and when the dust cleared, I saw Servine had fainted.

"Black's Servine is unable to battle! Leader Clay's Excadrill is the winner!" the referee declared, and I sighed, returning my partner to his pokéball.

"You did great, Servine. Take a good rest," I murmured, and then pulled out Dewott's pokéball. "Let's do it, Dewott!"

"Dewott!" my water pokémon crowed when he appeared, his pawed hands on his scalchops, ready to battle.

"Use Razor Shell!" I ordered, and the otter pokémon gave a short cry before dashing at Excadrill with his scalchops whipped out and the blue blades glowing from them.

"Dodge!" Clay grunted, and Excadrill jumped back, landing heavily on the ground several feet away from Dewott. "Bulldoze!"

"Ex…cadrill!" the drilling pokémon growled, and then the ground shook again as Dewott took the hit.

"Come on, Dewott! Use Water Pulse!" I yelled.

"Dew…ott!" he cried out loudly, practically flinging the orb of water at Excadrill. It hit its mark, but then Clay smirked when he saw his pokémon still standing.

"Slash!"

"Dew?!" Dewott yelped, but then gave a pained shout when he was struck with the attack, flying back and slamming into the ground, defeated.

"Black's Dewott is unable to battle! Leader Clay's Excadrill is the winner!" the referee announced, and I frowned in thought as I returned Dewott to his pokéball. I only have one more shot at this, so I needed to choose my next pokémon wisely. A sudden thought dawned on me, and I smirked before pulling out my next pokéball.

"Go, Zoroark!" I called, and my dark type growled loudly upon appearing in the arena. "We can do this, Zoroark! Now, use Dig!" Zoroark nodded briefly before burrowing into the ground and disappearing from view.

"Damn," Clay grumbled. "Excadrill, Hone Claws!" The drilling pokémon nodded, and then its claws glowed as its attack and accuracy rose.

"Hit it, Zoroark!" I ordered, and the fox pokémon shot out of the ground beneath Excadrill, slamming into it powerfully and sending it skidding back several feet.

"Hone Claws!" Clay yelled. As soon as it finished the move, I knew it was time to strike.

"Finish it off with Foul Play!" I commanded, and my dark type snarled before smashing into Excadrill with the dark aura from Foul Play surrounding him, using Excadrill's increased attack against itself. When the dust and dirt from the collision cleared, Excadrill was lying flat on its back, unable to continue.

"Leader Clay's Excadrill is unable to battle! Black's Zoroark is the winner, which means Black wins!" the referee declared, and I grinned widely as Zoroark gave his growling cry of victory.

"Awesome job, Zoroark! You were amazing!" I praised as I ran over to him. Zoroark hugged me and gave a rumbling sound from his chest, happy with the praise.

"Not bad, squirt, not bad," Clay admitted as he came over. "Usin' Foul Play like tha' after Excadrill had boosted its attack… Wise move."

"Thanks, Clay," I smiled.

"You guys were amazing, Black!" Bianca's voice cheered from where she and Cheren had been watching. As she and Cheren came over, Clay grunted.

"Cheren, I had no idea yer friend here was this strong. Watch out for him, as he'll catch up ta ya quick," he warned my friend, and Cheren blinked, surprised by the comment.

"I'll keep my team in top condition, then," he said once he'd recovered.

"Anyway…" Clay chuckled, pulling something out from his vest. "Here ya go, Black. The Quake Badge. It's all yers."

"Thank you, Clay. You made me work for that one," I laughed lightly as I accepted the Quake Badge from the ground type user.

"As I shoulda. Gym Leaders don't just give handouts," he harrumphed. "Now, I want ya ta meet me at the entrance to Chargestone Cave. Ya won't be able ta git through without my help."

"What do you mean?" Cheren frowned, worried.

"There's a blockade o' sorts there, and you'll need a ground type to get through it," Clay explained. "I'll meet ya there, tads." And with that said, the gruff gym leader left, and I looked at Cheren.

"You have any idea what he meant by that?" I asked, quirking a brow.

"Nothing I can think of…" he admitted. "I'll come with you, just in case."

"Sounds good. You gonna come with, Bianca?" I questioned my blonde friend as we headed to the entrance of the gym.

"Actually, I'm gonna go and visit home, that way Daddy doesn't worry too much about me. I know we have Xtranceivers, but I know he'd like to see me in person every now and then," Bianca shrugged. "But I'll join up with you guys again soon!"

"Sounds good. Be safe on your way home, okay? And tell my mom I'm doing better now," I told her. She nodded, and then started to leave.

"I sure will! See you, guys! And behave!" she giggled, and then took off. Cheren sighed and shook his head after she was out of sight.

"She makes it sound like we'll kill each other if she's not around," he muttered.

"Well…" I said, trailing off with a teasing grin. "We _were_ pretty mad at each other."

"Yeah, yeah," the raven grumbled, waving his hand dismissively. "How about we get your team healed up, and then head to Chargestone Cave to meet with Clay?"

"Agreed," I nodded, and we headed to the Pokémon Center. And once my team was all rested up, Cheren and I made our way out of town and to Chargestone Cave, where the next leg of my journey would continue.


End file.
